Eksplorasi.id – Weld County commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved a massive oil and gas drilling operation near a Greeley middle school, but not before blistering critics who hinted officials cared more about energy development than the lives of children.
“Do you really believe I’d endanger their health? Really?” said Commissioner Sean Conway. He and other commissioners said they have children and grandchildren who have lived next to oil and gas drilling rigs in Weld County for decades and have shown no ill effects from extraction activity.
“For 32 years I’ve lived in the middle of oil and gas,” said Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer. “So please don’t tell me that I wouldn’t know how something like this would affect me.”
In fact, said Conway, as drilling rigs have expanded in Weld County, asthma and cancer rates in the county have remained stable. “Weld is one of the healthiest counties in the state and that includes Boulder,” Conway said.
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The commissioners praised the plans of Extraction Oil and Gas to put 24 drilled wells, 18 oil tanks, two water tanks and associated production equipment about 1,300 feet from Bella Romero Academy 4-8 Campus, just east of Greeley.
“I believe they have gone above and beyond what is required of them,” said Kirkmeyer.
Extraction agreed to meet 24 conditions of approval and 37 development standards, which cover landscaping, noise mitigation and sound walls and the installation of emission control devices.
Under the direction of the commissioners, the company said it would stop traffic in and out of the drilling site within an hour of the start and end of classes at Bella Romero.
The company also must attempt to get permission from the Colorado Department of Transportation to use nearby U.S. 34 business route for its trucks, rather than Cherry Avenue, which runs next to the school.
But others who spoke at Wednesday’s hearing, said as many as 700 medical studies have shown that oil and gas activity harms the lungs and minds of young children.
“These kids will be surrounded by oil rigs,” said Therese Gilbert. “It’s not OK to put an entire population of people at risk without telling them.”
“The size of this project is ridiculous in area,” added Barbara Flores.
Extraction project manager Blane Thingelstad said advances in technology will make the site one of the safest ever built. Those advances include electric rigs that will eliminate noise and air pollution, and an oil pipeline that will eliminate most of its truck traffic.
“This is not your grandfather’s operation,” said Thingelstad. He added the well site will eventually pump about $70 million into the local economy.
“That’s how new sidewalks are built,” he said.
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