NO FRACKING IN CO CITY LIMITS! SUPPORT DEMOCRACY NOW!
- by: Timothy Ott
- recipient: Colorado Supreme Court
The oil and gas industry is allowed to drill and frack for oil and gas against the will of surface property owners in Colorado. Voters in the cities of Longmont, Fort Collins, Broomfield, Lafayette, and Boulder passed ballot measures placing moratoria or bans on hydraulic fracturing out of legitimate concerns over health, property value, environment and general well being. Most of these communities have been sued by the industry, claiming that state law allows only the state to regulate oil and gas production. The Colorado Supreme Court is now preparing to review the case. It is high time to take back our democracy from the hands of oil and gas for the sake of our children, our environment, our health and our happiness.
In 2014, operators reported almost two spills per day in Colorado, with over 10 percent of those spills contaminating groundwater. (1) Recent studies by the University of Colorado, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and others have found that oil and gas fracking operations contribute to grossly elevated levels of carcinogenic benzene in the air over the Front Range. (2) Researchers recently measured benzene levels almost 8 times higher than government agencies had estimated.(3) Fires, explosions, and spills occur frequently at fracking sites in Colorado with at least seven fracking-related fires occurring on the Front Range in 2014.(4) In 2013, Colorado experienced a severe flood which affected several fracking sites. Should another flood occur with fracking sites established in our cities, there is no possible way to ensure that dangerous chemicals would not make their way into the water supply.
This petition is to urge the Colorado Supreme Court to enforce the rights of its citizens to protect their property and health against potential harm. There is absolutely no way to 100% ensure the safety of oil and gas operations within city limits or elsewhere. Please sign this petition to the Colorado Supreme Court to uphold the fracking bans and moratoria.
1. Finley, Bruce. “Oil and gas spills surge, two a day, residents often not notified.” The Denver Post. July 14, 2014. http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_26233762/oil-and-gas-spills-surge-two-day-residents
2.Jaffe, Mark. “Researchers assess emissions from Colorado oil and gas fields.” The Denver Post. November 16, 2014. http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_26942340/researchers-assess-emissions-from-colorado-oil-and-gas
3. Finley, Bruce. “Scientists flying over Colorado oil and gas boom find worse air pollution.” The Denver Post. May 6, 2014. http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_25719742/scientists-flying-over-colorado-oil-boom-find-worse
4.Finley, Bruce. “Front Range firefighters gird after oil fires as wells encroach.” The Denver Post. May 1, 2014. http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_25671583/front-range-firefighters-gird-after-oil-fires-wells
Dear Colorado Supreme Court,
Voters in the cities of Longmont, Fort Collins, Broomfield, Lafayette, and Boulder passed ballot measures placing moratoria or bans on hydraulic fracturing out of legitimate concerns over health, property value, environment and general well being. As the case is reviewed, please stand with the people over corporate interest. For the sake of our right to democracy and to protect Colorado families health and property values from harm, we urge the court to uphold the bans and moratoria that we the people have adopted.
In 2014, operators reported almost two spills per day in Colorado, with over 10 percent of those spills contaminating groundwater. (1) Recent studies by the University of Colorado, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and others have found that oil and gas fracking operations contribute to grossly elevated levels of carcinogenic benzene in the air over the Front Range. (2) Researchers recently measured benzene levels almost 8 times higher than government agencies had estimated.(3) Fires, explosions, and spills occur frequently at fracking sites in Colorado with at least seven fracking-related fires occurring on the Front Range in 2014.(4) In 2013, Colorado experienced a severe flood which affected several fracking sites. Should another flood occur with fracking sites established in our cities, there is no possible way to ensure that dangerous chemicals would not make their way into the water supply.
This petition is to urge the Colorado Supreme Court to enforce the rights of its citizens to protect their property and health against potential harm. There is absolutely no way to 100% ensure the safety of oil and gas operations within city limits or elsewhere. We ask that the court stand with the people on this critical issue. What is a state without the will of the voters that make up the state? The vote in Longmont to ban fracking and the Fort Collins made it clear that most do not want this potentially dangerous corporate activity in our back yards.
1. Finley, Bruce. “Oil and gas spills surge, two a day, residents often not notified.” The Denver Post. July 14, 2014. http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_26233762/oil-and-gas-spills-surge-two-day-residents
2.Jaffe, Mark. “Researchers assess emissions from Colorado oil and gas fields.” The Denver Post. November 16, 2014. http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_26942340/researchers-assess-emissions-from-colorado-oil-and-gas
3. Finley, Bruce. “Scientists flying over Colorado oil and gas boom find worse air pollution.” The Denver Post. May 6, 2014. http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_25719742/scientists-flying-over-colorado-oil-boom-find-worse
4.Finley, Bruce. “Front Range firefighters gird after oil fires as wells encroach.” The Denver Post. May 1, 2014. http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_25671583/front-range-firefighters-gird-after-oil-fires-wells
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