La Plata County, CO

Bellflower Well

By Curt Swanson

Introduction:

My wife, Anne, and I moved to Colorado in 1997 to build our retirement home on property we had purchased in the Bellflower Ranch subdivision northwest of Bayfield.  This subdivision consists of lots between 10 and 25 acres.

Like so many other newcomers, we knew nothing about gas wells or the impact they could have on residents.  In looking around we could see pumpjacks operating in open fields, but never thought that they could put these things in subdivisions.

My story here is about the process our community went through in dealing with the drilling company.  We learned a lot about how gas companies operate and how to more effectively deal with them.  I would like to share with you some of the mitigation wins we managed to obtain and how we achieved them.

The key to any success we had was EDUCATION.  That is, educating ourselves on what can and cannot be done and some of the options the drilling companies have that can make gas wells more bearable to our community.  We also learned that in the industry there are good guys and bad guys.  We managed to draw one of the bad guys.

History:

In March of 2000 the drilling company met with several neighbors to discuss mitigation of the proposed well.  We presented a list of what we wanted, and the Company verbally agreed to most of our requests.

Two days after our meeting, we received a letter from the drilling company that they had already submitted a drilling application the previous week. None of our critical mitigation requests had been incorporated in the application.  This was our first clue as to how this company operates when it comes to dealing with landowners.

Subsequent to the application, there were several hearings with the La Plata County Commissioners resulting in an agreement with the Company on the mitigation items required to obtain a County permit.  Included in this agreement was a low-profile pumping unit and the use of electricity in place of gas to run any equipment after six months of operation.  We all walked away from the meetings feeling we had a satisfactory agreement and could co-exist with the gas well.

Two years later we were still waiting for the Company to replace the large, gas-driven pumpjack they had installed.  Instead of doing what they promised, they petitioned the County to waive the requirement for a low-profile, electric-driven pumping unit.  The County refused.  The Company's response was to file a suit in court and to appeal to the COGCC to force the County to abandon their requirement for a low-profile pumping unit.  A comprise was finally reached between the County and the drilling company to install electric-driven equipment in return for not enforcing the low-profile pump unit.

What we learned:

1.  We won the County's support because we came prepared:

·          We obtained 70 signatures on a petition.

·          50 people showed up for the hearing.

·         We researched what other companies were doing.

·          We had data to support the feasibility of both the low-profile pumpjack and electric-driven equipment.

·          We were able to counter the drilling company's arguments.

2.  You cannot believe all that a drilling company tells you.  You need to research on your own what is feasible for the company to do.  Make sure you have any agreements in writing and signed by the company.

3.  Some drilling companies are more honest and community-minded than others.

4.  The gas industry and the COGCC will blindly support any drilling company action that is within State regulations when it comes to issues of visual or noise mitigation.  For example, we found that the allowable noise level of 50 decibels is similar to running a diesel pickup truck 20 feet away from an open window, unacceptable to most residents.

5.  Our only line of political defense is the County and our legislators.  This is why we feel it is important that county governments be empowered to regulate noise and visual impacts of gas wells.

6.  There are organizations in the county that can provide information and help for mitigation issues (OGAP and the San Juan Citizens Alliance are two of them).

7.  The gas companies and the equipment manufacturers we visited were more than happy to give us information and to show us what they had done in the way of site mitigation.

Some of the things that can be done to mitigate sound are:

·          Electric-driven pumping motors (this is the ideal solution).  Some gas companies will maintain that 3-phase electricity is required to install electric-driven equipment.  In fact, there are electric motors available that will drive up to 60HP using single-phase electricity.  Also, single-phase can be converted to 3-phase by use of a converter (approximate cost $2,000).

·          Properly engineered and installed sound panels (e.g., no openings in the panels).  For example, we visited a site where a compressor was completely enclosed so that the noise was virtually eliminated outside the enclosure.  This enclosure was engineered by C&J Welding in Bloomington, NM.

·          Hospital grade mufflers on gas-operated engines.

·          Properly maintained equipment.

Some of the things that can be done to minimize visual impact are: using a low- profile pumping unit, landscaping and minimizing the size of the drilling pad (many companies are using pads of less than 1 acre).

8.  Above all, you need to be persistent.  It took us almost three years to get half of what we wanted, and we are still pressing for a low-profile pumping unit and replacement of dead vegetation.  Fortunately, a new company took over operation of our well and we have improved hopes of reaching our goals.

The San Juan Citizens Alliance has a folder on the people we contacted and some of their brochures.  I also would be happy to share any information I have.  You can contact me at (970) 884-2163.