|
|
Saturday, January 5, 2008
|
|
| |
We didn't know Andrew Olmsted well. We had a short conversation at a past Rocky Mountain Blogger Bash. We were struck by the excerpt of his posthumous post linked yesterday by Andrew Sullivan. We didn't click through so were unaware of the authorship until this morning when we saw this post from Walter In Denver. Here's an article about Mr. Olmsted from today's Rocky Mountain News.
Mr. Olmsted writes:
This is an entry I would have preferred not to have published, but there are limits to what we can control in life, and apparently I have passed one of those limits. And so, like G'Kar, I must say here what I would much prefer to say in person. I want to thank hilzoy for putting it up for me. It's not easy asking anyone to do something for you in the event of your death, and it is a testament to her quality that she didn't hesitate to accept the charge. As with many bloggers, I have a disgustingly large ego, and so I just couldn't bear the thought of not being able to have the last word if the need arose. Perhaps I take that further than most, I don't know. I hope so. It's frightening to think there are many people as neurotic as I am in the world. In any case, since I won't get another chance to say what I think, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Such as it is.
Rest in peace Andrew.
11:14:14 AM 
|
|
According to The Crested Butte News new information received from two studies may allow for treatment of some of the polluted water from the Standard Mine. From the article:
According to EPA Superfund project manager Christina Progess, the purpose of the meeting was to provide information from two investigations conducted in 2006 regarding water flow and contamination within the mine. Andy Manning from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Steven Renner with the Colorado Division of Reclamation and Mining Safety presented their findings from the Underground Mine Workings Assessment and Hydrogeology Investigation during the meeting. Anthony Poponi, executive director of the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition, a non-profit watershed organization that monitors the Superfund process, says the information gathered from the investigations may assist with future clean up efforts. "It's just another piece of the puzzle in characterizing the contaminants at the mine site and possible remediation," Poponi says. Poponi says past efforts by the EPA have addressed contamination on-site, but the new information will assist with dealing with drainage into the mine.
Progess says researchers were tasked with reviewing the geology of the mine to determine how water is getting into the mine and to see if fractures are allowing the seepage. She says they also looked at the structural integrity of the workings of the mine, and mapped the geology of any fractures. Progess says the report found that water flows more through the fault and in from the roof of the tunnels than through fractures. "The report told us how ground water incepts the mine workings and we found that the fault is the main conduit for the water. Our focus now is how to keep water out of the fault," Progess says. Manning says the information will help the EPA to reduce the amount of metals in the water by developing a strategy that will prevent water from entering the mine in the first place. Manning says one strategy is to remove or divert the water from the fault before it travels through the portion containing the ore. Poponi says another idea involves sealing the fractures or fault with concrete to reduce the amount of water coming into the mine; however, he notes no final decisions have been made as of yet. Progess adds, "The report's information will help us (develop) a final remedy as to how to minimize the amount of water flowing through the mine that we will have to treat," noting the reports have not been finalized as of yet.
As for the hydrogeology investigation, Progess says researchers took samples of water from in the mine and outside the mine to determine where the water is being contaminated and to figure out the age of the water. Progess says it's important to know how water moves through the mine and how old the water is in order to determine the potential for a "blow out." A blow out is when water pools in the mine and causes the mine to collapse, surging the water outside of the mine. A surge of water is of particular concern, Progress says, because it could be damaging to nearby waterways. "There is no mine pool to be worried about," Progess adds. According to Manning, the report found that the water is very young, generally less than one year old, which means the ground water gets flushed through the mine on a seasonal basis. The investigations also tried to determine where contamination is occurring within the mine. Manning says that although the researchers were not able to specifically identify the main source, they were able to narrow down where they think the contamination is occurring. However, Manning says future work is needed to make a final conclusion. "We hope to go back into the mine and reach the lower levels where we think the source rock is and sample the water down there, we weren't able to do that initially because they are collapsed," Manning says...
Category: Colorado Water
9:38:42 AM
|
|
From The Crested Butte News, "The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District (UGRWCD) decided to give $10,000 to support next year's Gunnison Whitewater Festival during the discussion and approval of the district's 2008 budget...Prior to approving the 2008 budget, the board discussed a new line item that would allocate funds toward organizing and promoting the 2008 Gunnison Whitewater Festival. The $10,000 line item was suggested during the district's November 26 meeting, where it was agreed that a festival coordinator position, coupled with recent repairs at the Whitewater Park in Gunnison, could be the recipe for an economic and cultural success. The Gunnison Whitewater Festival has seen several guises over the years. According to former festival director and whitewater enthusiast Bob Jones, in 2004 and 2005 the festival attracted more than 1,000 people. It was sponsored by companies like Teva and New Belgium and was re-dubbed the Colorado Adventure Sports Festival, rather than the old Gunnison Whitewater Festival."
Category: Colorado Water
9:25:38 AM
|
|
Here's an update on the Union Pacific Railroad's general discharge permit for water from the Moffat Tunnel into the Fraser River, from The Sky-Hi Daily News. They write:
The Union Pacific Railroad (UPR) is having its feet held to the fire by Grand County and Winter Park town officials regarding discharge from the west portal of the Moffat Tunnel into the Fraser River. As of [January 2nd], the railroad is authorized to discharge water into the Fraser River; it was issued its first general discharge permit Dec. 8, 2005, according to Andrew Neuhart, environmental protections specialist for the state. The general permit, however, doesn't always cover all parameters of concern, Neuhart pointed out. About a year later, the Colorado Department of Environment and Public Health's enforcement unit sent a notice to UPR regarding violations about its total suspended solids limitations (suspended solids can mean sand particles or, in this case, coal dust). UPR had exceeded the amount of suspended solids it is allowed to put in the river -- in some cases, it more than doubled the amount allowed by the state. The amount of suspended solids allowed by the state, Neuhart explained, is 30 milligrams per liter as a 30 day average. UPR, on some days, had 63 milligrams per liter. The department asked UPR to apply for an individual permit to cover other parameters such as metals, and UPR has submitted its permit application. Later, however, it requested a variance from the suspended solids limitations. The variance request is stated in the permit application, which says that suspended solids UPR puts in the stream "are not believed to have any water quality issues related to total suspended solids." Due to the small size of the particles, it also stated that potential treatment for filtering the particles could cost up to $3.5 million, with operating costs ranging from $270,000 to $320,000 annually...
Currently there are two portals where UPR discharges water from the Moffat Tunnel [~] the eastern portal, which flows into South Boulder Creek, and the western portal, which flows into the Fraser River. UPR paid to install a sediment pond at South Boulder Creek years ago to keep sediments out of that creek, which is part of the Denver Water collection system. It does not have any type of facility in place, however, to filter sediment out of its discharge before it enters the Fraser River. Asked why the west portal does not have a sediment pond in place on the Fraser River side, Mark Davis, UPR's corporate relations director, said UPR didn't have a reason...
In a letter addressed to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Grand County Commissioners stated they would like to see a sedimentation facility "designed to treat the outfall on the West Portal side of the Moffat Tunnel." The letter also stated that UPR "should have to meet the same standards as our wastewater treatment plant operators and other dischargers to the river and its tributaries." The Winter Park Water and Sanitation District, for instance, spent $5 million to comply with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Some estimate the Fraser Valley has spent $10 to $15 million on wastewater discharge to help deal with suspended solids and other department regulations. The town of Winter Park also recently sent a letter to the Colorado Department that UPR be held to the most stringent water quality discharge standards in the Colorado Water Quality Control Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
9:20:42 AM
|
|
From The Sky-Hi Daily News, "The Colorado Attorney General's Office has rekindled its enforcement order against Moraine Park Water System owner Paul Geisendorfer, a senior citizen of Granby and Colorado Springs. Moraine Park, an island in unincorporated Grand County near Middle Park High School surrounded by the town of Granby, has a "compliance history and enforcement history that is quite long" concerning Geisendorfer's privately owned water system, according to Lori Gerzina, section manager for the compliance assurance section of the Colorado Water Quality Control Division. An enforcement order was issued to Geisendorfer in September 2003 for failure to comply with the state's primary drinking water regulations, which are consistent with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act."
Category: Colorado Water
9:10:41 AM
|
|
From The Valley Courier, "An organization that was active in the 1980's in protecting the San Luis Valley's water is now reborn to protect another portion of the Valley's natural resources, oil and gas. The Citizens for San Luis Valley Water originally fought water exploration and exportation attempts of the 1980's. To that end the group was active in promoting the expansion of the Great Sand Dunes National Monument into the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to protect the waters of the Baca Ranch, now the Baca Wildlife Refuge. After a period of dormancy since 2000 the group has arisen again under the name Citizens for San Luis Valley Water-Preservation Coalition to focus on opposition to oil and gas development in the Valley, SLV Ecosystem Council Director Christine Canaly told her board during its annual meeting this week. Canaly serves as one of the advisors to the Citizens for SLV group. She had previously been active in the Citizens for San Luis Valley Water group that she said served as the fiscal agent for the Ecosystem Council at one time."
Category: Colorado Water
9:02:49 AM
|
|
The Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust has completed permantnent protections for 3 San Luis Valley ranches, according to The Valley Courier. From the article:
The final phase of the King Ranch Preservation Project was completed last month, protecting more than 5,100 acres adjacent to 275,000 acres of public and private land already protected at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The project was made possible with support from Great Outdoors Colorado, the Colorado Division of Wildlife's Habitat Partnership Program, The Nature Conservancy, the National Scenic Byways Committee, and generous private donors. "The King Ranch Preservation project is an important addition to a vast protected corridor which includes the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Baca National Wildlife Refuge," said Nancy Butler, executive director of RiGHT. "The project helps preserve the integrity of the corridor for future generations."
On the other side of the Valley, RiGHT has protected two valuable ranches on the Rio Grande between Del Norte and Monte Vista. First to be completed was a 200-acre ranch providing habitat for a variety of wildlife including big game and bald eagles. Protection of the ranch was accomplished with funds from Great Outdoors Colorado, the Division of Wildlife, the Colorado Conservation Trust, and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. "The protection of river corridor properties like this is especially important for their role in maintaining a healthy, functioning riparian zone that is vital for wildlife and provides many benefits for people as well," said Rio de la Vista, coordinator of the San Luis Valley Wetlands Focus Area Committee.
To the west of Monte Vista, the 352-acre Dugan Ranch has also been protected by a conservation easement. Funders include Great Outdoors Colorado, the Colorado Conservation Trust, and the Division of Wildlife's Habitat Partnership Program. "The project furthers the landowners long tradition as natural resource stewards," said Aaron Welch, assistant project manager with RiGHT. "The conservation easement preserves a first-rate agricultural operation and helps to maintain the agricultural character of the Valley."
Category: Colorado Water
8:57:50 AM
|
|
The San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council met on December 31st and listed some of their successes and challenges according to The Valley Courier. From the article:
...the Ecosystem Council has become involved in a massive water quality testing project throughout the Valley and during their Monday meeting discussed how that project fit with the council's mission. The board decided it met the group's goals in promoting the health of the natural and human environment of the Valley and gave Ecosystem Council Director Christine Canaly the green light to pursue further grant funds for the project within her discretion of her own time/energy constraints and her success in putting together the right team for the job. "The truth is nobody else is doing it," Canaly said. "Water quality is controversial, and we have always dealt with controversy in a productive way." Outgoing Ecosystem Council Board Chairman David Montgomery said he believed this project fit into the group's mission. "How can you not be more basic? Water is the base," he said. Canaly added, "We need to start establishing a baseline on water quality because somebody's got to do it." She said the extension service conducted a water quality project in the 1980's and 1990's but it was focused on best management practices in agriculture. "Who has actually taken the time to map all this data? Nobody," she said. Canaly said some of the highest quality water leaving Colorado comes from the Rio Grande. "We are coming from a pretty high caliber place, so how do we maintain it? Clearly we need a baseline."
The Ecosystem Council's LEAP HIGH (Landscape Environmental Assessment Plant-Human Inspired Goals for Health) project encompasses a multi-year effort to develop water quality awareness throughout the Valley, Canaly explained. She said the project would probably take five years altogether and at the end would provide a map and database of water quality in the Valley. As Valley residents provide well testing information for the wells on their properties, the council will be able to map some of the more severe water quality problems throughout the Valley, Canaly said. She said one of the big concerns for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is sponsoring this project is arsenic, but other water quality problems are also coming to light through this project. "The better idea that we have regarding what's happening in terms of water quality and household drinking water that will help us determine actions that number one change people's behavior ... to understand those things they can do if they have water quality problems and map all this information and have it available to public health nurses and doctors and the baseline of what this whole project is about. Environmental health is the foundation for public health. Having an intact environment is the foundation for having an intact public health environment in which to live," Canaly said. Canaly said the Ecosystem Council invested $15,000 in the initial household well testing portion of the project without any reimbursement from the EPA. "They didn't give us a penny. We just did it because it was the right thing to do," she told the board.
The council has now received a three-year $100,000 grant from the EPA to continue the project. The initial phase involved testing of more than 400 wells throughout the Valley. "We have all this data," Canaly said. "I want to make this a locally driven project that's developed by a core group of people in this Valley that are representative of all over the Valley." She added this has become a program that educates the public about the importance of maintaining water quality standards and "getting people to understand that what's happening with the watersheds is impacting them on the Valley floor." Canaly said with the grant funding she is seeking now, money would be available for free or subsidized water quality testing. She said many people do not get their water tested because they cannot afford it. Canaly said the grant would also enable her to hire people for this project.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
8:48:26 AM
|
|
An proposed water conservation plan is in the works for Rifle according to The Rifle Citizen Telegram. From the article:
City council members listened to a workshop presentation on Dec. 19 by the engineering firm Schmueser Gordon Meyer Inc. of Glenwood Springs, which outlined a number of water-conservation measures and programs the city might want to look into. "These are several ways to conserve water," said city utility director Charlie Stevens. "We hired SGM to do this plan after we received a $31,665 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board." In order to remain eligible for state funding from the conservation board, Colorado law says that the city cannot go above water usage of 2,000 acre-feet per year or must have a water-conservation plan in place if it exceeds that. "Right now, we're at 1,700 acre-feet," Stevens said. "In order to stay eligible, we thought we'd work on a plan now. Once we get them the plan, we can go back and get more funding for implementation."[...]
One of SGM's suggestions to incorporate in a conservation plan is modifying water rates to promote conservation. This may or may not result in an increase of water rates, Stevens said. "There are different ways to set up the rate structure to promote water conservation," he said. "One might be instead of charging a base pay, you pay for water by the gallon. We haven't decided yet."
Category: Colorado Water
8:32:05 AM
|
|
From The North Forty News, "Citing major concerns from Larimer County residents about proposed uranium mining in neighboring Weld County, the county commissioners promised to schedule a public hearing on the matter by Feb. 15. Commissioner Randy Eubanks said he has received a steady stream of e-mails since August opposing the in-situ mining project proposed by Powertech Uranium Corp. The company bought mineral rights to nine square miles between Wellington and Nunn and has been doing exploratory drilling in the area. Larimer County is not a decider for the project, but commissioners may pass along comments and concerns to the Weld County commissioners and to state and federal regulatory agencies. Commissioner Kathay Rennels said she would like to have the county's environmental advisory board report in hand before the hearing, so the public can respond to its findings. The board, along with Doug Ryan of the county health department, is working with experts at Colorado State University to gather information about in-situ uranium mining. Rennels noted that Powertech would not be required to send representatives to a Larimer County hearing, since the company's project is in Weld County. However, Eubanks said he believes the company would attend a hearing in this county. "The people want a voice," added Eubanks. "I've been asked to take action, so I want to get all the information I can.'"
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
8:17:53 AM
|
|
Larimer County has a shiny new stormwater ordinance according to The North Forty News. From the article:
On Dec. 17, the Larimer County Commissioners approved a new stormwater quality ordinance that has more teeth than previous regulations. The county will now be able to assess fines to individuals or businesses that violate provisions of the stormwater management plan. The new ordinance is designed to discourage illicit discharges made into the county's storm drainage systems. These can include sediments and oils from construction sites, sewage, gray water, industrial effluents and runoff from landscapes including excess fertilizers or pesticides. Illicit discharges from agricultural operations are also covered by the ordinance. Details about administration of the plan and fines that can be levied will be hammered out in the next month, according to Scott Cornell of the engineering department. State law allows up to $1,000 per violation, Cornell said, and each day of noncompliance could be considered a separate violation. Before assessing fines, the county will first contact offenders and try to help them solve the problem. The ordinance will take effect in late January. The new, stiffer enforcement rules are required by the federal government, which now regulates Larimer County's stormwater policies. Besides dealing with effluents, the ordinance also requires proper maintenance of permanent stormwater facilities such as retention ponds, irrigation canals, culverts and natural waterways.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
8:12:42 AM
|
|
The new rules for irrigating in the Republican River basin have been delayed until spring, according to The Sterling Journal Advocate. From the article:
Revised, proposed compact rules and measurement rules for the Republican River Compact, which were promised by early December by Colorado Division of Water Resources, have been delayed until early spring. Proposed rules and measurement rules were first posted in August followed by the announcement revised rules would be posted in early December -- now delayed until spring of 2008. Cause for the delay is the change of personnel at the state level -- Dick Wolfe, P.E. has been appointed by Gov. Bill Ritter as the new Colorado State Engineer, filling the vacancy made by the retirement of state engineer Hal Simpson. Recently Simpson was appointed by Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey to sit on the newly established Water Court Committee to the Colorado Supreme Court. Wolfe is in the process of reviewing the many comments and suggestions submitted to the Division of Water Resources regarding the proposed compact rules and measurement rules. Allowing time for Wolfe to acquaint himself with the Republican River Compact and its attendant problems, the division anticipates the next revised set of proposed compact and measurement rules will be posted by early spring 2008.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
7:55:20 AM
|
|
Snowpack levels are big news out here west of the 100th Meridian. Here's some snowpack news from The Fairplay Flume. They write:
Due to increased precipitation in December, the snow pack in the South Platte River Basin was brought to near- average levels while residents wrestled with daunting drives and stuck-at-home scenarios. With the recent snows, the average December snow pack for the South Platte River Basin has reached 96 percent of the 30-year long-term average, said Leon Kot, the area district conservationist for the National Resources Conservation Service...
On Monday, Dec. 31, the snow depth at the Hoosier Pass Snow Telemetry site was 34 inches, while the snow water equivalent (the moisture level) of the snow was 7.6 inches, or about 125 percent of the average snow water equivalent for that particular site. "The typical 'La Niña' weather patterns the state can experience have been somewhat reversed this year, resulting in more of an 'El Niño' precipitation and storm pattern," said Kot. "Whether the current weather pattern holds is a big question, as earlier predictions calling for a more mild winter have not materialized to the degree expected."[...]
According to information obtained from NOAA's National Weather Service Web site, the total precipitation at Antero Reservoir through November was 13.11 inches, well above the average total precipitation of the area, which is 10.24 inches. For the Bailey area, the total through November was 15.69 inches, which is just slightly below the yearly average of 16.62 between Aug. 1, 1948, and Dec. 31, 2005. In Fairplay, the average through November was 16.43. The average total between Sept. 1, 1954, and May 31, 1966, for this area was 15.65 inches.Finally, the total precipitation through November at metro Denver's Cheesman Reservoir was 16.64 inches, just above the average of 16.33 between Aug. 1, 1948, and June 30, 2007. While most of those totals are higher than average, they are lower than the precipitation totals for 2006. In 2006, Antero received 14.58 inches, Bailey had 20.79 inches, Fairplay had 18.04 inches, and Cheesman Reservoir had 19.25 inches through December...
The total precipitation figure is derived by melting down the total amount of snow and measuring the resulting amount of water and combining it with other precipitation, such as rain. While the total precipitation was higher last year, in the Bailey area the total precipitation for the month of December this year was higher than last year. In 2006, it measured in at 1.31 inches while this year it was at 1.76 inches.
More coverage from The Vail Daily (free registration required). They write:
Locally, the levels are just about average. On Vail Mountain, snowpack is 96 percent of average, according to the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District. "That's great," said district spokeswoman Diane Johnson. "We're close to average." The water district also keeps a close eye at snowpack levels at Fremont Pass and Copper Mountain, which both drain into the Eagle River. Those site are well above average. Vail Mountain has seen above-average snowfall so far this year, with 142 inches in the books through Dec. 31, compared to the average of 122 inches. But Gillespie cautioned that there's still a lot of winter left -- the state typically gets 60 percent of its snow accumulation after Jan. 1. The Natural Resources Conservation Service's forecasts say the runoff will be almost average for the Eagle County area, Gillespie said. The runoff will be 94 percent of average for the Eagle River at Gypsum, according to the forecast, which takes into account National Weather Service long-term precipitation forecasts.
More coverage from The Aspen Times (free registration required). They write:
Colorado's snowpack is 10 percent above average after a series of storms in December boosted it from near record lows at the start of the month to near record highs, the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service reported Thursday...
The snowpack in the Roaring Fork River Basin was 16 percent above average as of 2 p.m. Thursday. The NRCS has seven automated Snowpack Telemetry stations scattered in the Roaring Fork, Fryingpan and Crystal river basins for measurement. The Nast Lake site in the Fryingpan Valley was 50 percent above average Thursday while the Ivanhoe site was 37 percent above average. The measurement at Kiln was only 16 percent above average. Schofield Pass in the Crystal River drainage was 1 percent below average but McClure Pass was 16 percent above average. No reading was available from the North Lost Trail site near Marble. The snowpack measuring station east of Aspen near Grizzly Reservoir was at 19 percent above average Thursday. More snow is forecast through this weekend in the Aspen area.
Category: Colorado Water
7:49:14 AM
|
|
The recent Great Outdoors Colorado grant to the South Platte Working Group is the subject of this article from YourHub.com. From the article:
The legacy for the South Platte River corridor - a vision of beauty, wildlife, preservation and recreation set forth by Arapahoe County and 15 entities - is about to get underway thanks to a $5.25 million boost from Great Outdoors Colorado.
On Dec. 3, GOCO awarded a $5.25 million grant to Arapahoe County and members of the South Platte Working Group, a coalition of 16 local governments and organizations working together on the South Platte Greenway Legacy Project - a plan to beautify the South Platte River corridor and enhance its connectivity to the recreation trails and wildlife habitat in the region. The South Platte Greenway Legacy project extends from Englewood to the Arapahoe County line south of Littleton...
Arapahoe County will receive $5.25 million, which when combined with more than $20 million the South Platte Working Group has committed will enhance the South Platte River corridor as a recreational and habitat amentity by purchasing land from willing landowners to set aside for open space. Funds also will be used to construct recreational improvements including nature education and trails...
Members of the South Platte Working Group consists of Arapahoe County, the cities of Littleton, Englewood, Cherry Hills Village, Sheridan, Columbine Valley, Centennial and Greenwood Village, the Town of Bow Mar, as well as South Suburban Parks and Recreation and its Foundation, the Arapahoe County Open Space Advisory Board, Trust for Public Land, Urban Drainage and Flood Control District, South Metro Land Conservancy and Colorado Water Conservation Board...
The property represents a portion of the historic course of the South Platte River and it retains many of its original natural features, including a riparian habitat, wetlands, trees, vegetation and ponds. It is surrounded by commercial and industrial development and the purchase will protect water quality, wildlife areas and scenic vistas, as well as provide future recreational opportunities.
More Coyote Gulch coverage of GOCo's Legacy Grants here.
Category: Colorado Water
7:43:26 AM
|
|
Many West Slope officials are lukewarm to negative when asked about the Bureau of Land Management's recently released draft report on the possible impacts of a commercial oil shale industry, according to The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article:
Unrealistic and there is too little time to respond. Those are just two of the complaints some local government officials are leveling at the Bureau of Land Management regarding its draft report on the possible impacts of a commercial oil shale industry. "If we're worried about global warming, what's this whole thought that we're going to have to build a whole bevy of coal-fired power plants to extract oil shale resources?" Rio Blanco County Commissioner Ken Parsons said, adding the BLM created the report using unrealistic assumptions about oil shale companies' technology and how it might impact the Western Slope.
The report says oil shale would supplant all other uses of public land, have a dramatic impact on air and water quality and urbanize small towns, while bringing many thousands of new workers to the region. The report says little about using other energy sources, such as natural gas, to power oil shale development, Parsons said. The county hopes greater environmental awareness in the United States will be enough to encourage Congress to scrap the commercial oil shale program until energy companies can prove their technology works and the BLM's oil shale research leasing program has run its course, he said...
Grand Junction Utilities Manager Greg Trainor said the scenarios outlined in the report don't make sense because companies researching oil shale don't know how or if they'll extract it commercially. The BLM's public-comment period, which expires in March, isn't enough time for cities with limited resources to respond to the 1,400-page report, he said. Considering the report's impact, "why are we being given only 90 days to comment on it?" Trainor said, calling the report "imposing."[...]
The report is proving tough to wade through for others, too. Royal Dutch Shell spokesman Tracy Boyd, state Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, and Club 20 Executive Director Reeves Brown all declined to comment on the report because they had not finished reading it. Environmental groups praised the BLM for being thorough in its account of how oil shale will "devastate" the region. "It would be devastating to above-ground trout fisheries," Trout Unlimited spokesman Chris Hunt said. "They could be lost forever with this type of development." He said the report shows oil shale development will create an industrial zone out of northwest Colorado and defy the BLM's mandate for allowing multiple uses of public land.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here and here.
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
7:34:14 AM
|
|
Here's a look at the problem of ducks dying in wastewater treatment ponds along the Front Range from The Rocky Mountain News. From the article:
The Westminster, Littleton-Englewood and Metro Wastewater's northeast Denver facility are the three treatment plants reporting the latest casualties. The plants have seen an increase in ducks arriving in their ponds as other bodies of water have frozen over during recent cold spells. Wastewater plants have reported the deaths since Dec. 24. Metro wastewater's plant reported three additional duck carcasses Friday, bringing its total to 10. "All I can really say is what we're trying to do is support what DOW and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service want to do in terms of trying to get to a root cause," said Steve Frank, a spokesman for Metro Wastewater. Investigations have already ruled out common infectious diseases among ducks, including avian influenza, botulism and avian cholera, according to DOW...
A study is slated to begin next week at Metro Wastewater in which ducks will be exposed to various wastewater sources to determine what factors might be leading to duck deaths. The research, to be overseen by state and federal scientists, will last through the end of February...
A spokeswoman for DOW, Jennifer Churchill, said that the cause doesn't appear to be linked to chemicals used by Metro Wastewater, as the plant hasn't changed what it uses to treat the water for many years. "That's what strange." Churchill said, "Nothing has changed in the way they do business."
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
7:20:42 AM
|
|
Irrigation efficiency and the Colorado Division of Water Resources' emphasis on it to help satisfy the Arkansas River Compact is the subject of the 14th installment of The Pueblo Chieftain's series "Water Logs." From the article:
[Steve] Witte has been talking about efficiency's potential impact on return flows for more than a year. As farmers put in more efficient means to irrigate, they could put more land into production, increasing the overall consumptive use and reducing flows back to river, he argues. If those flows are reduced, as Witte suggests, then it would be a case of improved "works" decreasing flows, prohibited under the Arkansas River Compact, Robbins explained.
The farmers were disappointed by the reasoning. Don McBee, who irrigates at the tail end of the Fort Lyon Canal, said no more land is in production because of the sprinklers. Crop yields are about the same as always. And a theory presented on paper is, well, all wet when you get it out in the field.
As proposed, the rules would cover surface irrigation improvements like sprinklers and canal lining made since 1999, when Colorado and Kansas agreed on how much water is used for irrigation in Colorado. The rules would not cover better operation of existing structures, crop patterns, weed removal, dredging or maintenance activities. They do not cover wells, which have been under new regulations since 1996...
The Colorado Division of Water Resources is proposing rules requiring farmers who lined ditches, installed sprinklers or drip systems after 1999 to show they have not depleted flows in the Arkansas River. Wells or changes in operations are not covered.
- The issue: State officials say improving efficiency in irrigation could lead to reduced return flows for downstream users.
What's at stake: Farmers have been encouraged by the federal government to invest in more efficient irrigation systems.
- Why it matters: Colorado is trying to avoid future lawsuits with Kansas over the Arkansas River Compact. The states agreed on the existing use of water in 1999 as a benchmark in the 1985 Supreme Court case.
- Who's involved: Water Division 2 Engineer Steve Witte plans to have meetings in the near future on the rules to see if changes need to be made.
Here's the link to Steve Witte's presentation Water Efficiency Concerns in the Arkansas Basin [pdf], on efficiency from the division's website. More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
Category: Colorado Water
7:14:07 AM
|
|
|
|
© Copyright
2008
John Orr.
Last update:
1/31/08; 9:11:09 AM.
|
|
|
