A Nov. 10 campus presentation drew a crowd of more than 150 to view a movie and hear a panel of experts explain and discuss the topic of fracking. Regional citizens attending the event outnumbered the UCCS students, faculty and staff present.
Fracking is the more common term for hydraulic fracturing, a mining technique used to remove natural gas, oil, and other substances from layers of rock underground. The process involves horizontal drilling and injection of highly pressurized fluid into fractures in the rock layers, forcing out the sought after minerals for collection. The procedure is the subject of some controversy. It has been in use for a number of years and become more widespread with the increasing value of fossil fuels. Introduction of new fracking operations in Colorado and El Paso County brings the accompanying concerns about environmental and health safety to the Colorado Springs region.
A screening of the movie “Split Estate” came first. The film's title refers to the division of property rights and mineral rights for the same section of land. “Split Estate” explained how property owners have no rights or legal means to prevent mining operations on their land and presented various examples of the problems caused by this situation with an emphasis on fracking.
For example, property owners are deprived of the surface area on their land that the mining operation requires and have no control of the operation's proximity to their houses, barns and other structures. By law, they cannot prevent activities that create objectionable aesthetics or smells or those that may possibly put the residents at risk.
But the most significant issue the movie raised is the impact some operations have had on the environment and the health of people living nearby. Substances identified as toxins and/or carcinogens have been produced by the fracking process, polluting the air and water people used, which has been linked to illnesses and adverse medical conditions these people experienced.
Another controversial factor the movie explored is how the gas and oil industry enjoys virtual immunity from any responsibility to comply with clean air or clean water legislation and other environmental protection laws.
After the movie, George Bolling, geologist and senior instructor, Geography and Environmental Studies, Janel Owens, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Scott Harvey, professional engineer, briefly presented their expert perspectives on the topic of fracking, followed by a question and answer session.
Bolling provided the basic description of the fracking process and drew from personal experience in the mechanics of oil drilling. He asserted that with thousands of wells in Colorado, there will be accidents and problems but that for the most part, the industry tries to avoid sloppy practices that are ultimately unprofitable. He said drilling has been going on for generations in Rocky Mountain states like Montana and South Dakota, establishing a tradition of cohabitation between drilling companies and the local population. Much of the concern and controversy surrounding fracking in southern Colorado is because it is new to the region.
Owens noted that the vast number of chemicals involved and lack of reliable information on their effects make it impossible to establish any simple cause and effect theory. The gas and oil industries utilize over 2,500 proprietary substances in compounds used in the fracking injection process. Some of those substances are innocuous while others are toxic, she said, and combination with substances in the rock produces results that have never been researched in most cases and offer minimal evidence of any kind.
Harvey discussed some of the gas and oil industry's operational regulations and the efforts made under Gov. Bill Ritter's administration to make the industry accountable. As a member of the Green Cities Coalition steering committee and the chair of the Energy Working Group, he has been involved in energy issues in the Pikes Peak region, leading numerous community initiatives. He encouraged the audience members to investigate the issues and make their feelings known to elected officials.
Amber Lytle, co-executive of Students for Environmental Awareness and Sustainability, was on hand as spokesperson for the SEAS group; co-sponsors of the event included the UCCS Office of Sustainability, the Green Cities Coalition, the Sierra Club, and the League of Women Voters.
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