Summer will not exactly be vacation time for members of Battlement Concerned Citizens. In mid-June, Ursa Resources submitted six applications for special use permits to continue its development of oil and gas in Battlement Mesa.

The applications are for two new large-scale well pads, a water storage facility, two pipelines and a wastewater injection well. One of the pads will be within 500 feet of homes, a clear violation of state setback rules.
Over the summer, we will continue to help BCC work for better siting of the pads, and more protections to make the project as safe and convenient as possible for residents.

BCC, a committee of our Garfield County affiliate, Grand Valley Citizens Alliance, is also helping residents hold Ursa accountable to promises the company made to the community in permitting decisions late last year.

In May, BCC and WCC hosted a workshop on how to file complaints with state regulatory agencies. If an operator is violating the terms of its permits, it will only be fined if the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission knows about it. And since most COGCC inspectors don’t live in Western Colorado, neighbors of drilling activity are the first line of documentation and enforcement.

To learn more about filing complaints with the COGCC, contact me at emily@westerncoloradoalliance.org.