Environment groups are protesting federal plans that would allow increased oil and gas production through hydraulic fracturing on public lands in western Colorado.
They argue that the plans for up to 16,342 new wells across 2.5 millon acres would deplete scarce water and hurt wildlife.
The Center for Biological Diversity and other groups contend the Bureau of Land Management plans fail to address likely harm from water withdrawals for fracking, emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases and inevitable toxic spills in the Colorado River Basin.
“At a time when scientists call for keeping fossil fuels in the ground to avoid climate disaster, it’s counterproductive for the Obama administration to allow fossil fuel expansion on public lands,” CBD Colorado representative Taylor McKinnon said.
The protests of BLM’s Grand Junction and White River district plans argue federal officials wrongly estimated each new well would require 250,005 gallons of water when water use for horizontal drilling between 2011 and 2014 averaged 3.8 million gallons per well.
BLM officials “will review all the protests received and determine what, if any, action is necessary,” agency spokeswoman Vanessa Lacayo said.
Colorado and other oil-producing states also are that challenges BLM rules for fracking on federal public lands. The states contend BLM illegally usurped state authority .
Those rules issued March 20 require companies to reveal the chemicals they inject, drill according to construction standards and dispose of wastewater safely. Industry groups have said this will impose new costs and cause delays.
Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700, bfinley@denverpost.com or twitter.com/finleybruce
