Category Archives: BOCC Testimonies

LARIMER ALLIANCE AND 350 NORTHERN COLORADO RALLY BEFORE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING

Our friends from Colorado Rising and 350 Northern Colorado at the August 30 rally!

The Larimer Alliance and 350 Northern Colorado staged a rally outside the County Courthouse Tuesday morning, August 30, before the County Commissioners’ administrative matters meeting. They continued to call for the County to pro-actively enforce their own oil and gas regulations. Representatives from Colorado Rising, The Plymouth Congregational Church, Foothills Unitarian Church, Citizens Climate Lobby, and the Sierra Club were also present.

This coverage from the Loveland Reporter-Herald describes the rally, and the statements made before the Commissioners’ during the public comments section of the meeting.

https://www.reporterherald.com/2022/08/30/environmental-activists-rally-at-larimer-county-meeting/amp/

As noted in the coverage, the Commissioners had made statements following an executive session last week, indicating their intent to pursue more active enforcement of the County’s own regulations on new and existing oil and gas operations. This is a significant departure from their previous stance that such regulation would not be possible with existing facilities. We view this as a positive development, and hope to be part of the process of enabling such enforcement protocols.

Much of this focus on enforcement was prompted by concerns over the poorly operated Prospect Energy facilities North of Fort Collins, which had been causing health issues for local residents for years. Calls for more activity on the part of the County in dealing with this have been put forth by the Alliance and its regional allies. In another significant development, the Air Pollution Control Division finally enacted a shutdown order on the Krause tank battery in that area of Larimer County. This coverage from the Fort Collins Coloradoan details this State action, and includes comments from Alliance representative Doug Henderson:

https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/08/25/prospect-energy-oil-gas-near-fort-collins-ordered-shut-down/65457107007/

Doug can also be heard in this interview on KGNU pubic radio our of Boulder, aired live just before our rally started. His section on the program picks up at about 6 minutes 50 seconds in the recording:

https://news.kgnu.org/2022/08/morning-magazine-podcast-tuesday-august-30-2022/

The Commissioners’ Administrative Meeting can be viewed in this video, with the public comments section opening the session:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J_COSc7IEw&ab_channel=LarimerCountyGovernment

These are all positive developments, and none of this would have been possible without the support and teamwork of our community and our great friends in all our allied groups. There will be more attention to be paid to ensure that effective regulation is really enabled, and acted upon. Our thanks to all of you for all you do. . .

Participants and signs at the August 30 rally
Participants and signs at the August 30 rally

Comments by Tim Gosar on continued leakage from Prospect Energy Krause Tank Site N. of Fort Collins

Good morning Commissioners,


I’m Tim Gosar a long-time resident of Larimer County & coordinator of The Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety & the Environment. Thank you for this opportunity to speak & engage you this morning.


One of this commission’s great accomplishments was re-writing Larimer County’s O&G regulations that prioritized & better protected public health, safety, the environment and wildlife. Thank you very much for this! The next step after passing much better regulations is the fair & swift implementation of them.


You’ve heard the clear and convincing evidence regarding Prospect Energy’s polluting and general disregard for the health and safety of Vonn, Amy, Charley and all the citizens of Larimer County. Willfully polluting, poisoning and disregarding the health & safety of the residents of Larimer County, the environment and wildlife is very troubling to say
the least and must be stopped.


You passed new O&G regulations that went into effect on 9/15/21 that address this disregard for public health, safety and the environment that I’d like to point out & reference:


• 11.5 (Enforcement & Inspections) – Bottom of page 27
o 11.5.1 (Compliance)

• New & existing O&GF’s shall demonstrate compliance with this and all other relevant sections of this code. Failure of an Operator to maintain compliance with the County approval of an O&GF may result in the suspension or revocation of the approval pursuant to the procedures in this Code.

o 11.5.5 (Cease & Desist) – next page


▪ The Director has the authority to issue a Cease & Desist order, requiring the Operator to stop all affected O&G operations where there is: subsection (2) 3 or more documented violations which threaten public health, safety, welfare, wildlife or the environment within a (6) month time frame.


Colorado and Larimer County require that O&G gas is regulated in a way that prioritizes public health & safety, the environment and wildlife. Prospect Energy is endangering Amy, Von, Charley and Larimer residents, along with polluting the environment which must bring a Cease-and-Desist order (section 11.5.5)! The violations of law are clear and convincing per Larimer County’s O&G regulations and CO law. I implore you to use the enforcement mechanisms I referenced to shut
the Prospect Energy’s Krause facility down! Activate that fair and swift enforcement please! The Krause facility is harming our great community and needs to be shut down! Thank you.

Comments by Doug Henderson on continued leakage from Prospect Energy Krause Tank site in N. Fort Collins

Comments to BoCC re Prospect emissions – Doug Henderson – 8 Feb 2022


Good morning Commissioners,


In June and Sept last year, we raised concerns to you about emissions from Prospect Energy’s Krause facility northeast of Fort Collins.


For years this facility has leaked emissions that harm people’s health and quality of life, degrade air quality, and damage the environment.


CDPHE cited Prospect for 3 separate violations at this facility during 2018-19, and issued Prospect a warning. After each violation, Prospect said repairs were made and the leaks had been stopped. But subsequent investigations by APCD found that emissions continued. Repairs were either very inadequate, or weren’t actually made.


Only 2 months after Prospect received the warning, Earthworks documented more illegal emissions from the facility. During the past year, Earthworks documented emissions on 9 separate visits. And several investigations by state and county officials also found leaks, emissions, and odors.


Prospect repeatedly said repairs were made and leaks were stopped. But
subsequent investigations found emissions were continuing.


CDPHE issued another violation notice to Prospect in December. In early January, Prospect replaced two tanks that were known to leak. So finally – after years of leaks and harmful emissions – the facility would no longer be leaking, no longer harming peoples’ health, air quality, and the environment.


Unfortunately, shortly after the tanks were replaced, local residents reported more odors from the facility – the same sickening odors that have made them ill for years.


So in mid-January, Earthworks investigated again – and documented leaks from the replacement tanks. (The imaging from that investigation is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db9B9fsErPg&t=67s&ab_channel=Earthworks

It seems Prospect had replaced two old leaky tanks
with other old used tanks, and leaks continued. So Earthworks filed another complaint with APCD.


Ten days ago, a state investigator, accompanied by County Health staff,
documented more leaks, emissions, and odors at the facility.


The Krause facility has a clear record of leaks, emissions, violations. Prospect is responsible for these leaks and failing to stop them, and responsible for toxic and illegal emissions that for years have damaged people’s health and welfare, degraded air quality, and damaged the environment.

Colorado law is clear: protection of public health and the environment holds priority in oil & gas development. Larimer County has legal authority under state law and County regulations to act to protect public health, safety, and the environment.


We urge the County to stop further harm from the Krause facility
and hold Prospect accountable:

  • by ordering the facility to cease operation and shut
    until state and local authorities determine the facility can operate without any more illegal emissions.
  • and by issuing Prospect a penalty for its chronic illegal leaks,
    and sufficient to deter further illegal conduct.

Not just talk – real action to uphold the law and protect local residents, public health, and the environment.

COMMENTS TO BOCC ON O&G EMISSIONS NORTHEAST OF FORT COLLINS

On Tuesday, September 28, Doug Henderson delivered these remarks in the Administrative Matters meeting of the Larimer Board of County Commissioners. Tim Gosar, Gayla Martinez, Cory Caroll, and Jonathan Singer (LOGIC’s new executive director) also made comments to the Board:

Good morning Commissioners,

In a Tues morning BoCC meeting in June, we addressed the problem of
harmful, often illegal, emissions from oil & gas facilities – emissions
that damage people’s health, degrade air quality, and gravely harm our
planet’s climate.

We presented evidence about such emissions from a Prospect Energy
facility northeast of Fort Collins, including imaging of the emissions
taken by Earthworks in January and March 2021. A local resident also
told of his experience, health impacts, and harm suffered for years from
toxic emissions from this facility.

After the January investigation by Earthworks, a complaint was submitted
to the state, and Prospect subsequently said it had stopped the leaks
and emissions.

The next investigation in March showed that the facility was still
leaking, and another complaint was submitted to the state.

Prospect then actually made some repairs, and the leaks and emissions
stopped. At least temporarily.

But before long, local residents again were suffering from emissions
from this facility. So in early September, Earthworks investigated
again. Here is video from that investigation – which shows the facility
was leaking again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAWHJ8CzY5E

The illegal emissions documented in January, March, and September this
year are not the first. CDPHE cited Prospect last November for
regulatory non-compliance and illegal emissions at this facility – for
violations documented in November 2018, June 2019, and October 2019.

(A copy of the letter from CDPHE to Prospect Energy is attached.)

Only 2 months after CDPHE’s warning letter to Prospect, Earthworks
documented the January 2021 violation. Then came more documented
violations – in March and again earlier this month.

A few weeks ago, Earthworks also documented illegal emissions from
another Prospect facility in the Hearthfire neighborhood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC1anPkau_E

Unfortunately these emissions happen at O&G sites all the time. This is
oil & gas business as usual, how the industry has operated for decades.

Colorado law is clear: protection of public health holds priority in oil
& gas development. Larimer County’s oil & gas regulations uphold this law.

It is time to protect public health and the environment from these
harmful and illegal emissions.

It is also time to hold Prospect Energy fully accountable for its record
as a repeat violator.

Thank you for your attention to this.

Doug Henderson

Doug, along with our colleagues in Earthworks, has also been maintaining communication with Cassie Archuleta, Air Quality Program Manager for the City of Fort Collins, bringing attention to these sites Northeast of Fort Collins. Particular attention has been paid to one located near the Hearthfire neighborhood.