BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Neighbors in a new Broomfield subdivision are feeling under siege after the city discovered a plugged and abandoned oil well is leaking.
There’s now a drill rig parked in the middle of the newly paved Grahams Peak Way in the Anthem Highlands neighborhood.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Committee (COGCC) says tests show elevated concentrations of methane and other compounds in the soil.
So, they are digging up the well site and re-plugging the well which was first cut, capped and buried in 2003. [That’s not very old!]
“It’s disconcerting to say the least,” said homeowner Becky McLeod.
New homes are going up all around the site — and new homeowners question the transparency of the developers.
“I live about two blocks away from a plugged and abandoned well, and there was no disclosure to us when we purchased,” [Of course there wasn’t! Developers want to make money, not ensure safety of communities!] said homeowner Laurie Anderson, who is also a newly elected city councilwoman in Broomfield. “And it wasn’t until we as residents said – ‘Hey, wait – what’s going on in our community?'”
“Who wants one of those in their neighborhood?” McLeod said.
COGCC officials says it has about a week of work left on the site in order to get the well re-plugged safely.
“We didn’t want to tear up the whole neighborhood,” said Mike Hickey, program engineer for orphaned wells for the COGCC. “So, we went down with straight walls as far as we could.”
Hickey said there is no immediate danger. [Most unwise to believe or trust any staff at any energy regulator anywhere in the world. The COGCC is nearly as dreadful as the AER!]
“I wouldn’t have those humans in there if I thought there was an explosion danger,” Hickey said of his crew working on the site on Friday. “We’d be doing things very differently.”
Despite that, neighbors say the issue goes much deeper than this one well.
“These wells are dotted throughout Broomfield and other communities,” Anderson said. “And you can see there’s major construction going on here. This entire road is going to be homes.”
Hickey said it’s a very safe process.
“Yes,” Hickey said. “I believe that. These are 1,000-year plugs. These things have to be permanent.” [What an arrogant disgusting lie! New wells start leaking nearly immediately! People need to know they are living in danger of blowing up and or poisoned]
But, whether homeowners believe that is a different question — and many don’t.
“There’s no way to guarantee it won’t leak again,” Anderson said.
“It’s always just one step forward, two steps back,” McLeod said. “We haven’t had very many wins against the oil and gas industry. Anything could happen at any time.”
Refer also to:
FIRESTONE, CO – APRIL 27: Crews continue to investigate a fatal house explosion on April 27, 2017 in Firestone, Colorado. Anadarko Petroleum plans to shut down 3,000 wells in northeastern Colorado after the fatal explosion. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
FIRESTONE, CO – APRIL 27: A gas well, on the left, covered by tan fencing is less than 200 feet from a home where crews continue to investigate a fatal house explosion on April 27, 2017 in Firestone, Colorado. Anadarko Petroleum plans to shut down 3,000 wells in northeastern Colorado after the fatal explosion. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
In this April 18, 2017, photo, investigators stand by as debris is removed from a house that was destroyed in a deadly explosion in Firestone, Colo., on April 17. Anadarko Petroleum said Wednesday, April 26, that it operated a well about 200 feet (60 meters) from the house in the town of Firestone. The company didn’t say whether the well was believed to be a factor in the explosion or whether it produced oil, gas or both. (Matthew Jonas/The Daily Times Call via AP)
