All posts by Ed Behan

General Environmental Reference

REPORT ON EARTHWORKS FRACKING ACTION TOUR AROUND WINDSOR JUNE 6

1 Comment
Earthworks OGI Camera Set Up for Field Observation

On June 6, the Larimer Alliance co-hosted an Earthworks Fracking Action Tour with 350 Colorado and Green Latinos

We hosted a tour group of twelve to joing Andrew Klooster, Earthworks Colorado Field Advocate, on a tour of two active oil and gas operations outside of Windsor, Colorado. Andrew demonstrated their Optical Gas Imaging camera, which uses FLIR branded infrared photography to make emissions from oil and gas facilities visible.
Following the observations at the active sites, our group took a look at the proposed Century site where Verdad Resources is planning a 22-well pad with associated infrastructure in near proximity to residential areas and schools. Although nominally outside of the 2,000 foot legal setback from homes and other vulnerable structures, we all know the emissions and other deleterious effects of such an operation will range much farther than that.  
Emissions observed from the flaring stack on the left. Nominally an enclosed combustion device, this one’s igniter was not working, so the burning of extraneous methane was not happening.
Even when operating properly, emissions can still be observed from oil and gas operations
The image seen above, showing emissions from the combustion stack of a separator unit, was captured the day before our tour. Upon our arrival on site, he focused again on the same stack and saw the emissions were still happening. He explained that the separators are what will divide what is drawn up from a wellbore into oil, the "produced water" or waste fracking fluid, and extraneous methane deemed unusable. Each separator has a flaring device which burns off the methane, which is a greenhouse gas even more problematic than carbon. In this instance, the igniter for the flare is not functioning, so the methane is just drifting off into the atmosphere. . . it disperses fairly quickly, but is more pervasive. 
Andrew explained he encounters this frequently, and brings such instances to the attention of the operators and Colorado's Air Pollution Control Division. However, the operators feel no obligation to respond to his reports of such violations until the regulatory agency leans on them, and they are given a grace period to respond before it is actually treated and fined as a violation. Beyond that, the combustion processes in the flaring devices are imperfect at best, so you are still getting both carbon and unburned methane out of these stacks. 
He also observed some emissions from the tank battery on site that held produced water. This site was going to get a violation report presented to the APCD. The enforcement processes are slow, and the division relies on the companies to self-monitor and report as their staff is stretched thin across all the 45,000 plus active wells in the state of Colorado. Andrew also made clear that the air pollution monitoring is only brought on line when the well goes into production. Emissions of all sorts from the bore and the equipment used in drilling and hauling away waste are not monitored during the drilling phase.
Andrew Klooster of Eathworks setting up his OGI camera at first field observation site
Everyone on the tour had the opportunity to view the emissions through the OGI camera
Andrew is a ready font of information on the processes, and what he encounters when making his observations.
The second site observed was viewed from the sidewalk right outside a residential neighborhood. While nominally beyond the setback limit, that is still clearly too close for comfort!
Following the tour we met to discuss what we had learned at Peculier Ales in Windsor
Well, this was actually before the tour, but we were on the front porch of Peculier Ales.

We had been by the site of the proposed Century pad on the West side of Windsor, at the intersection of County Road 15 and Harmony Road. We had a few concerned Windsor residents on hand for this expedition, and they are seeking support for their efforts to stop this 22-well monstrosity from going in near their homes and schools. Sandra Duggan of 350 Colorado gave us a briefing on their Safe and Healthy Colorado communications program as well as the upcoming Here and Now Tour in support of their Make Polluters Pay campaign. This is seeking to establish a state level climate superfund to get polluters of all sorts to pony up for the damage to our health and environment they have caused. Patricia Garcia Nelson spoke to the continued efforts of Green Latinos to rein in the egregious pollution of the Suncor refinery in Commerce City, as well as pushing back against ongoing oil and gas development around our state, and the harm it brings to disproportionately impacted communities.

Stay tuned for more updates on activity centered on the Verdad Resources proposed Century well pad. Their application has been filed with the Energy and Carbon Management Commission. Although we are outside the legal jurisdiction in Weld County, local residents who wish to counter this will need our support. And as we all know, those emissions don’t just stay in Weld!
Events, General Environmental Reference

Larimer Alliance Speaks to the Climate Activists of Tomorrow at Dunn Elementary Dolphin Dash Event

1 Comment

Fifth Graders getting ready to visit their chosen pledge stations.

Visitors to the Larimer Alliance Station on Climate Change Knowledge

The Larimer Alliance had a unique opportunity to speak with the next generation of potential climate activists. On May 3, we set up an informational table at Dunn Elementary, a unique school that is part of the globally recognized International Baccalaureate program based in over 5,000 schools in 158 countries. Our display and discussion were part of Dunn’s Dolphin Dash and Learner Profile Pledge event.

Starting with Fifth Graders in the morning, groups of up to ten students selected to visit tables to visit focusing on hunger, social justice, reading and education, affordable energy, water quality, and air quality. The students are seeking ways to tie what they are learning in Dunn’s IB program to these issues and what they can do to work on them. In speaking of the Alliance’s work, we emphasized air quality and how it is affected along the Front Range by oil and gas activity.

A large number of those who visited the Larimer Alliance table indicated they had picked up trash and/or planted trees and native plants for Earth Day and were aware of the need to shift off fossil fuels. By the end of the day with the kindergarten kiddos, we were just asking some pretty basic questions. But all the students expressed understanding of the various issues, and recognized they will be working on them in the future. It is encouraging to see them paying attention. . .

City of Fort Collins, Local government (city & county)

LARIMER ALLIANCE WITHDRAWS ENDORSEMENT OF ALEXANDER ADAMS

Leave a comment

This message was sent out on the Larimer Alliance listserv on October 26, 2023.

Last Monday, October 16, the Larimer Alliance announced our endorsements for the current election to the Fort Collins City Council. In the race for the District 6 seat, we endorsed Alexander Adams based on the comprehensive responses he provided to our questionnaire on environmental issues in Northern Colorado.

On Tuesday the 17th certain information about past online activity on the part of Alexander was brought to our attention. While not central to his response to our questions, his appearances on a variety of forums advocating what can only be described as hateful and reprehensible stances on a range of social justice issues are problematic. Postings related to white nationalist and racist philosophy were particularly disturbing.

We determined to look into that history as provided in one of our local forums as well as conducting our own background checks. We also decided to reach out to Alexander directly, seeking his confirmation that he had disavowed those views, and asking for references who could speak to the sincerity of his evolving views. We have the impression that not everyone who have raised these issues have taken that step.

He met with our representatives last Friday and addressed our questions and provided some referrals as we requested. We heard from those advocates on his behalf over the weekend. These included college friends who knew him during both that troubling era as well as currently, and at least one mentor.

Since then, this information has been made public in local social media postings and in the Fort Collins Coloradoan. We cannot dispute that his past postings online are terrible, but the possibility that he has undergone a sincere change of heart in the three years since they appeared is something we can neither prove nor disprove.

We still appreciate the stances that Alexander took regarding the key environmental issues we addressed in our questionnaire. But under the circumstances we don’t feel there is enough of a track record of how he has shifted from some of the more disturbing activities in his past. With that in mind, we must withdraw our endorsement of his candidacy for the District 6 post.

We should be clear that while we do not agree with some of the conclusions he has drawn in his current work for the Firearms Research Center of the School of law at the University of Wyoming, the papers and postings he has generated in that regard are not couched in racist or hateful terms. That is an issue over which people can attempt to have reasonable disagreements, and debates about the validity of research. He has also indicated he is a fiscal conservative, but that too is not necessarily at odds with taking a stance in favor of environmental advocacy.

Second chances are something all of us may have benefited from at different times in our lives. It is our hope that if Alexander has indeed shifted in the way he communicated to us last Friday, that he will consider, if not elected to Council, other ways he might serve in our community and establish a history of a more rational and empathetic outlook on the pressing social issues of our time. He is to be commended for being willing to sit with us and answer some tough and pretty uncomfortable questions.

There may be those who question why we took so long to arrive at this decision, and we can only say we needed to pursue this on our own. The chance to communicate directly with Alexander and to hear from his close advocates and friends was an important part of that. But at this point, there are many issues of pressing importance that we need to focus on moving forward and hopefully this is something that can be put behind us all.