Western Colorado Congress members said the new oil and gas residential drilling rule does not protect their community of Battlement Mesa during a press conference July 19. Dave Saxton, a WCC member from Battlement Mesa, called the new rule an “utter failure.” Members are concerned about how close drilling would be to homes and the Colorado River.
At a meeting of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission on the same day, WCC members raised concerns about noise, wildfires, explosions and other possible impacts near their residences. WCC members were also uneasy about potential water contamination from a second well pad and wastewater injection well about 400-feet from Battlement Mesa’s water treatment facility.
Ursa Operating Company has received a permit to drill 28 wells on one pad in the community of about 4,500 residents. The company wants eventually to drill 53 natural gas wells on two pads and build pipeline in Battlement Mesa. Ursa has several wells already in the area and was recently fined $20,000 for odor violations.
The residential drilling rule was one of the recommendations adopted from the 2015 Colorado Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on oil and gas. The task force’s purpose was to recommend ways to reduce the effects of oil and gas drilling on residential communities. The drilling rule requires the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation to consult with the community prior to issuing permits to drill near residential communities and mitigation if deemed necessary.
Colorado rules allow a 500-feet minimum setback for occupied dwellings and a 1,000-feet for high occupancy buildings, such as apartments, retirement homes, and hospitals.
What’s next?
Members are continuing to work for adequate protections. WCC is considering supporting a ballot measure requiring a 2,500-feet setback of oil and gas wells from residences. In addition, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission may require further mitigation measures for the oil and gas pad permitted in Battlement Mesa.