Re: Aug. 6 news story.
Great story about oil drilling vs. land development. As the well-researched story points out, the conflicts are increasing. A simple solution might be for the developers or even the cities to buy the mineral rights, or even condemn them under eminent domain for the public safety and happiness.
The cost to buy mineral rights in northern Colorado is currently from $5,000 to $10,000 per acre. Large blocks of land protected this way will not be drilled. With five or more houses per acre being built, the added cost for a $300,000 house would be around 1 percent.
That is totally insignificant, and well worth reducing all the drama. Additionally, as drilling technology increases the distance wells can be from the minerals being removed, now over 3 miles, at some future point in time the oil could still be exploited, perhaps when all the wells in America are located in Nevada.
ѲʲDzԲ, Berthoud
I want to commend The Denver Post on Aldo Svaldi’s excellent, thorough and investigative article in last Sunday’s Post about the collision course between housing and development on the Front Range and the continued expansion of gas and oil drilling.
It is stunning to read about the immensity of the Wattenberg Field. Itap also remarkable and perplexing to me that people continue to settle in these areas. Thanks for the insights and widely researched and well-placed article on the front page of The Post.
DZٱڴڱԲ-ٳ, Boulder
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