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The environment desk at Aspen Public Radio covers issues in the Roaring Fork Valley and throughout the state of Colorado including water use and quality, impact of recreation, population growth and oil and gas development. APR’s Environment Reporter is Elizabeth Stewart-Severy.

Battlement Mesa residents and oil industry meet in Glenwood

Aspen Public Radio

Those who live near proposed oil and gas wells were given a unique opportunity yesterday to voice their concerns directly to the state agency that oversees the industry.

 

In a rare meeting held in Glenwood Springs, more than a dozen Battlement Mesa residents told the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission that they are concerned about a wide range of possible issues, including water contamination, fire danger from a pipeline that would run close to homes, loud noise and air pollution.

Several supporters of proposed well pads said Ursa Resources, the company seeking permits, is known in the industry for transparency, safety, and community involvement.

Ursa was also one of several companies facing penalties at the hearing and is being fined about $20,000 for odors and dust violations at other Garfield County wells.

Aspen native Elizabeth Stewart-Severy is excited to be making a return to both the Red Brick, where she attended kindergarten, and the field of journalism. She has spent her entire life playing in the mountains and rivers around Aspen, and is thrilled to be reporting about all things environmental in this special place. She attended the University of Colorado with a Boettcher Scholarship, and graduated as the top student from the School of Journalism in 2006. Her lifelong love of hockey lead to a stint working for the Colorado Avalanche, and she still plays in local leagues and coaches the Aspen Junior Hockey U-19 girls.
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