When the western gas boom goes boom

Declining production and what comes next

Posted by Erik Hoffner (Guest Contributor) at 12:49 PM on 08 Jun 2007

Read more about: water crisis | Colorado | desertification

This week the Durango Herald discussed the steadily declining production of methane gas from wells in southern Colorado's La Plata County and what impacts there will be when the wells go dry.

Unfortunately, the article focuses only on the economic implications and goes nowhere on the topic of what the landscape will look like when those companies pull up stakes for new pastures. Even if all the well pads are reclaimed, which would be a miracle, what kind of rangeland and habitat will these parts of the West be left with when the boom is over?

For story: When the western gas boom goes boom
3 Comments | Post a Comment

Gov Ritter

From the San Juan Citizens Alliance, good news that Gov Ritter has just signed these two bills which may help this situation at least in CO:

Colorado's legislature recently passed bills that will significantly improve the situation for landowners faced with drilling! Among these are bills to change the composition and mission of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (HB 1341); and make the rights of surface owners equal to the rights of mineral owners (HB 1252).

http://sanjuancitizens.org

The Orion Grassroots Network: 1,200+ grassroots groups working for conservation & more

by Erik Hoffner at 11:44 AM on 11 Jun 2007

priorities, and the Anasazi

Colorado's La Plata County includes the town of Durango, and part of the San Juan National Forest. And it touches on the margin of one of our most beautiful and archeologically important national parks, Mesa Verde N.P.

But it is hard to say anything reasonable, in Tom Tancredo-land.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 12:14 PM on 11 Jun 2007

Wind turbines also

There is an enormous amount of concrete that goes into the pads on which wind turbines are mounted. Once a wind turbine farm is abandoned, how many of those concrete pads will be dug up and hauled away?

This study, from 1997, at least started to think about the problem.

These are only my personal opinions.

by Ron Steenblik at 12:32 PM on 11 Jun 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.