A Colorado state senator insinuated in an interview last month that water can naturally catch fire and therefore hydraulic fracturing is safe.
Sen. Randy Baumgardner, R-Cowdrey, made the statements on , a Republican who is running for state representative in eastern El Paso County.
Baumgardner said in the interview that he has been to a number of fracking seminars where the “myths of fracking” have been debunked. He specifically addresses worries that fracturing introduces methane into water sources.
“If you go back in history and look at how the Indians traveled, they traveled to the burning waters and that was methane in the water and that was warmth in the wintertime,” Baumgardner said. “So a lot of people, if they will just trace back the history, they will know how this is all — a lot of it — is propaganda.”
The , which happened in July.
Baumgardner could not be immediately reached for comment.
said that Baumgardner was likely referring to some Native American’s relationship with hot springs.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jesseapaul
