The Mysterious Pro-nuke Greenpeace activist

A corporation, Energy Fuels, Inc., is moving full speed ahead with plans to construct a uranium processing mill in the West End of Montrose County.  If constructed, this would be the first new uranium mill built in the US in a generation.  It’s operation would make west Montrose, San Miguel and Mesa Counties, as well as the entire West Slope’s highway system, host to an industry that presents an intrinsic public health threat.  In fact, the nuclear industry is still paying medical claims and survivor benefits at the same time it resists cleaning up the many thousands of sites with uranium and processing wastes.  Unfortunately, some decision makers on the West Slope welcome the industry, stating flatly the nuclear industry is safe.

A surprising element in recent efforts to promote the nuclear industry are pitches by a handful of high-profile “environmentalists” who are enthusiastic about the nuclear industry.  Perhaps the best known in recent big media reporting is Patrick Moore, identified as a Greenpeace activist.    It turns out Moore is a flak for hire, a corporate media consultant skilled at greenwash.  I didn’t know his actual background when I heard him on NPR within the past two weeks.

Below is a link to a piece from Public Citizen about Patrick Moore and his efforts in Texas.

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2655

 

Grant Will Help DMEA Members Use Solar

Colorado, United States [from RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) residential members interested in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems will have a new financial incentive available June 1, 2008. A US $25,000 matching grant to DMEA from the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) will enable DMEA to offer a limited number of its members a US $2/watt rebate on new PV systems installed beginning June 1.

Under the program, only residential, grid-tied, net-metered PV systems on DMEA’s lines are eligible to receive rebates. To qualify for the rebate, PV systems must be installed by a certified member of the Colorado Solar Energy Industry Association (COSEIA) or North American Board of Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certified.

Under the program, only residential, grid-tied, net-metered PV systems on DMEA’s lines are eligible to receive rebates. To qualify for the rebate, PV systems must be installed by a certified member of the Colorado Solar Energy Industry Association (COSEIA) or the North American Board of Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

Rebates for solar electric systems will be capped at US $3,000 per system to spread available resources to more members. Rebates will not be retroactive and will only apply to systems installed between June 1 and December 31, 2008. All rebates will be subject to site verification and funding availability.

“We’re pleased that the Governor’s Energy Office has selected DMEA for this program,” said Steve Metheny, DMEA’s assistant general manager.  “Some of our members have been asking our board of directors for such a program and the recent grant from the state has greatly improved the economics of our financing solar rebates.”

Program applications will be available ONLY on DMEA’s website beginning June 1.

 

Bull Mountain pipeline gets early ok

On April 30, a US District Judge ruled against a request for a preliminary injunction against the US Forest Service’s and Bureau of Land Management’s approval of construction of the Bull Mountain Pipeline.

The pipeline would connect gasfields in the North Fork Valley (north of Paonia) with a main pipeline in the Interstate 70 corridor. It includes an eight-mile stretch through three separate national forest roadless areas.

Because bulldozers could start rolling within days to clear the pipeline route, WCC and a coalition of conservation groups have filed an appeal to the judge’s decision with the Tenth Circuit Court, again requesting a preliminary injunction.  Without the injunction, the pipeline route could be cleared while WCC and its allies wait for the judge to decide on our lawsuit, doing irreparable harm to the roadless areas.

Earthjustice filed our lawsuit in federal district court on March 5 challenging the Forest Service and BLM on their approval of this 25-mile natural gas pipeline.  The lawsuit argues that the agencies’ approval violates the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule by allowing a de facto road to be built through three national forest roadless areas. It also asserts that the agencies failed to consider the impacts of hundreds of additional gas wells that would be made possible by the new pipeline capacity.

On April 17th our Earthjustice lawyer, Robin Cooley, argued our request for a preliminary injunction before U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn in Denver.  In denying our request, Blackburn said that in order to win an injunction, we must show that we are likely to win our overall lawsuit.  He concluded that our case was not strong enough to merit the injunction.

Western Slope Environmental Resource Council (a WCC affiliate serving Delta County and western Gunnison County) and High Country Citizens Alliance (based in Crested Butte and covering Gunnison County) are the local citizens’ groups joining with WCC in the lawsuit.

Pitkin County also joined the lawsuit as officials there fear construction of the pipeline could lead to the drilling of gas wells in the western part of the county near Carbondale. No new wells have been drilled in the county over the last few years, but thousands of acres of public land have been leased to gas companies.

 

Buescher, Penry champion waste pit bill

As the last day of the Colorado legislature came to an end yesterday, Representative Bernie Buescher and Senator Josh Penry helped push through important legislation for Mesa County citizens.  House Bill 1414, increases protection for communities that are effected by evaporative waste pits. Waste pits are created by the oil and gas industry when they need to dispose of toxic waste generated by the production of natural gas. 

The increase in oil and gas production has effected towns like DeBeque – a small, economically depressed town on the edge of Mesa County.  DeBeque residents have lived with a large waste pit (Black Mountain) in their community for years.  When two proposals for additional waste facilities hit the drawing board in the last year, residents fought back and avoided having their close knit community become an industrial wasteland.

DeBeque has been targeted by the industry as a waste dump because of the easy interstate access the town provides.  DeBeque also sits in the middle of two Colorado Counties that are seeing increased production: Garfield County is the epicenter of western Colorado oil and gas activity.  With BLM lands being leased all over the County, including inside the town of Palisade and Grand Junction watersheds, Mesa County is sure to see more activity in the coming years.

Thanks to Representative Buescher and Senator Penry for their leadership on this important human health and environmental issue. 

 

Oil shale conference concludes, “We need citizen action”

This past week I attend an oil shale conference.  There were people from all over the country–big wigs from political backgrounds and then us.  The topic was strategy, and questions included how do we slow down oil shale, and stop the wanton leasing of public lands?

All of the politicos from DC and Denver were stressing the importance of litigation and legislation, for good reason.  But ultimately, for any elected official to stand up for us, it all came back to the same thing–the importance of WCC, our memebers, and the necessity for THE PUBLIC TO ACT!!

Even though the comment period is over for Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, you can still make a difference.  Urge your State Reps and Senators to support the continuation of the funding limitation for an oil shale leasing program.  You can call Trudy Kareus at Sen. Ken Salazar’s Grand Junction office at (970) 241-6631, Andy Treharne at Sen. Wayne Allard’s office at (970) 245-9553 or Governor Ritter’s office in Denver at (303) 866-2471.

Questions? call Frank in our GJ office: 970-256-7650

 

Are biofuels responsible for world hunger?

Biofuels and World Hunger

On the editorial page in the Montrose Daily Press, Tuesday, May 6, is a political cartoon depicting a emaciated, starving man  holding an empty bowl.  A  pair of arms is holding out to him a gasoline can labeled ETHANOL.  The meaning of the cartoon is certain– biofuels are responsible for world famine. 

I enclose a link to an article posted on www.grain.org about the causes of the present world crisis of food, a crisis not caused by the push to alternatives fuels but by the complete restructuring of the food system over the past decades.  Reading “Making a Killing from Hunger” will be well worth your time.

“http://www.grain.org/articles_files/atg-16-en.pdf

 

Garfield County on BBC

Check out this recent segment done by the BBC on the health effects of gas drilling in Garfield County, “a bucolic corner of the Rocky Mountains.”

Rick Roles, who has 19 wells on his property all within 300 yds of his house, points to blood tests as evidence that he’s being poisoned.  “I’m positive for benzene, toluene.  These aren’t substances that should be in your body.  These should be in the gasoline in the tank of your car.”

 

Allard pushes for oil shale

Read the whole story in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent

By Phillip Yates, May 2, 2008

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado – United States Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., has joined several other Republican lawmakers to introduce energy legislation to increase domestic energy production by removing barriers to oil shale leasing in the Western United States and drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The American Energy Production Act, announced Thursday, includes language that would repeal a one-year moratorium that prevents the Bureau of Land Management from approving final regulations for commercial leasing of oil shale.  [read more]

 

Support Safer Gas Drilling!

Rapid and careless oil and gas development in Colorado is hurting wildlife, water quality and the health of people who live in the gas patch.  New draft rules would protect our environment and human health in new ways.  Government officials need to hear that we support the draft rules and want them to be even stronger. 

WCC and two of our member groups have filed for party-status for the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission’s (COGCC’s) rule-making hearing scheduled from June 23 – 27.  We will be represented by Western Resource Advocates and Earthjustice.  Being a party to the rulemaking gives us the legal right to present testimony and expert witnesses and cross-examine other witnesses. 

However, you — as an individual citizen — can submit your own comments on the draft rules.  Comments must be sent by May 29 to Dave Neslin, Acting Director, COGCC, 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801, Denver CO 80203 or to dnr.ogcc@state.co.us

 

 

New faces in the Grand Junction office

Western Colorado Congress continues to be blessed with talented people joining our staff!  This week we celebrate the arrival of two new staff members in the Grand Junction office.  Heather Tischbein, our new Executive Director, will be bouncing back and forth from her commitments in Vancouver, Washington, and her new life here until mid-June.  She brings over 30 years of experience in the non-profit world from early childhood education to sustainable agriculture to facilitating World Cafes!  And, for those of you familiar with WCC lore, she is the sister of one of WCC’s Founding Humans! 

Lee Gelatt, who has lived in Grand Junction for over 20 years, joins us as our new Grassroots Fundraiser.  He has been a Utah BLM Ranger in Grand Gulch Primitive Area and a River Ranger in Desolation Canyon of the Green River.  For four summers he worked as a Park Service Ranger at the Colorado National Monument and has taught math and science in Mesa County high schools and middle schools.  Most recently he was working with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program recruiting community volunteers, coordinating school tutors, media relations, and fundraising.  Lee, his wife Patty, and teenage children enjoy the outdoors, especially rafting, kayaking, and canoeing. 

Stop in our Grand Junction office at 124 N. 6th Street and give Heather and Lee a warm welcome!