Today the public comment period on the State Sunlight ECMC Decision Hearing began. It was hard to listen to…both physically, emotionally, mentally…
I joined the meeting when it started at 10:30, but it wasn’t long before the meeting itself was postponed to 11:15, due to absentee members.
Once it started again, the public then had to endure over an hour of testimony (including a lunch break) from the operators. The reader for this task spoke like he was reading a dictionary, and it was just about as interesting. Through all the verbiage, I basically heard assertions that, yes, the operator has complied with the rules and regulations, and, yes, all the experts we’ve hired assure us that this 32 wells to drilled on the Sunlight well pad are going to be totally safe. Funny…his delivery did not inspire the least confidence in what he was saying.
So, it wasn’t until well after lunch that the public — the citizens living near the reservoir who are going to be the most affected by all this drilling — began to have their say….and it went on and on and on…because over thirty people had signed up. This went on for over two hours, I believe…and though I did not hear everyone, I heard enough.
But it wasn’t until I went to the website for activist group leading the residents, STAR, for Save The Aurora Reservoir (savetheaurorareservoir.org), that I came across a startling image that conveys the horror and desperation that these residents are feeling.
[Note: click images for larger view]
Here is a Google map image of the reservoir, the nearby neighborhoods where many of the residents who testified live, and the nearby open lands where the drilling is proposed to occur:
And here is a schematic of roughly the same area, showing the proposed horizontal drilling would be done:
One can well understand the anger, the frustration, the disbelief, and the sheer justified outrage that so many of those who testified directed at the ECMC commissioners. It is indeed hard to believe that that the Sunlight pad, the one that is directly southeast of the Reservoir, is proposed to be drilled right under the residential areas!Â
This does not feel like any kind of fair process; it feels like economic slavery under an oppressive regime that bows to the wishes of corporate greed of the oil and gas industry.
The hearings will go on for two more days…I can only pray that these commissioners will take to heart the pleas I heard today from these residents.
Here are more screenshots of the Zoom meeting, with some of the more outspoken persons who testified:
The Larimer Alliance will report the outcome. Though this is happening some distance from Larimer County, this could happen near us, such as the Century pad being proposed in Windsor; so it behooves us to pay attention to how these Commissioners make their decisions.
Does anyone have stats for how many wells have been plugged in our state — at any price? And which of those wells are potentially inadequately plugged? I’m following Phil Weiser’s campaign in hopes that if he is our next governor, he is well aware of constituents who want strong environmental protections from ECMC. It’s one place where we can put collective pressure — a documented campaign promise.
This is a critical moment for water management and environmental policy in the region. The fate of the Aurora Reservoir will set a significant precedent, balancing urgent water supply needs against long-term ecological health and sustainability. The article rightly frames this as a foundational decision, the impacts of which will be felt for generations. It’s encouraging to see this level of public scrutiny on such a vital issue. If the chosen plan moves forward, what specific, measurable environmental indicators (e.g., water quality metrics, wildlife population counts, groundwater levels) will be monitored to determine if the projected impacts are more severe than anticipated, and what is the defined process for course correction if those thresholds are crossed?
Thank you for your piece. The SE Aurora Community and STAR so appreciate the support. As you note the process tilts severely towards the industry. STAR has raised over $30,000 this year to fight this and are running shy of cash before it is even done. As you can see from the 2nd image there are wells all over – looking much like Windsor and Greeley. No one in the state wants nor needs any more oil and gas when you consider 60% of our pollution already comes from the industry with all of the profits leaving the state while we bear the aftermath. With over 100,000 unplugged wells in the state maybe it is time to put in place tougher rules that limit where they can be AND that FORCE them to clean up their mess. STAR tried to get Arapahoe county to implement $190,000 bond/well b/c that is what it costs per Civitas to plug a well. The abdicated and accepted $80,000. Please Please get involved and make your voices heard.
Randy: You are very welcome. I and the Larimer Alliance will be supporting your efforts to the best of our abilities. Do you know when the ECMC is supposed to make a final decision? –Rick