This is largely a meaningless gesture. OK, so we may know what is going into a well but now what? So it shows up in our wells, is that going to stop them from using the chemicals or motivate county officials to change anything? Absolutely not.
Although it has been pointed out that the butane-fracking that was used at the Hayden well did not utilize any water, it did use over 500,000 gallons of a butane gel which went into the well. Is hauling this much gas back and forth any safer than some chemicals being pumped into the well?
First to address the employment argument, as noted by the industry officials present at the meeting the vast majority of personnel used to drill and maintain a well will be brought in from other areas. They will “fill in” and attempt to train locals only as necessary. Moreover drilling the well is the most labor-intensive part of the process. Once the well is in place it is virtually self-sufficient and requires little more than routine maintenance. The effect on the county’s unemployment rate will be nominal.
Nobody at the meeting was advocating the prohibition of oil and gas drilling in the county. In fact one industry representative commented on how thoughtful and respectful the attendees were with their comments and suggestions. The common theme of a moratorium was because there is a great deal of groundwork to put in place concerning emergency plans, environmental impact studies and health and safety concerns and nobody felt the need to be rushing into this.
Quickdollar, er, Quicksilver and Shell have been through this public process hundreds of times. It is a dog and pony show to them and they factor it into their cost of doing business. In their view this is by and large a process to try and make the community feel better about them as companies and give the impression that the community actually has some say so.
With that said these companies have been buying up leases, and in the case of Quickdollar buying up thousands of acres of land in south Routt, knowing what the process could be and what the possible resolutions may come from that process. They know full well that this could be another Delaware River Basin where they have banned fracking or Santa Fe where the requirements are so onerous that nobody will attempt to apply for a permit. It is part of the gamble.
The other topic that lost traction was the formation of a working group comprised of county staff, industry representatives and citizens. This group could be very effective at sorting through many of the issues in an efficient manner. But this was largely scoffed off as something that would “slow down the process”.
The county commissioners have every right and would be well within their province to put a hold on any permits until all of the concerns can be addressed and resolved thoroughly and carefully. It is their responsibility.
These are the same geniuses that can not even get a handful of traffic signals sequenced on Lincoln Ave.. Or maybe they should not even try as it could be no worse.
The towns of Avon and Vail have absolutely fallen in love with traffic circles. They are everywhere, even to the point where you have to drive through three of them in a row. It's kind of like a ride at Elitches. Traffic circles work well when they are part of the initial design of a roadway and intersection. They work horribly when they are retrofitted to an intersection where there is not adequate room and there are already a number of other issues such as crosswalks and bad visibility.
Steamboat is not Avon or Vail nor are we Denver (thankfully). But that does not mean it needs to be amateur hour when it comes to the traffic engineering department. The voters should pass a resolution that the city may not be allowed to install any more traffic circles or traffic lights until they learn how to manage the ones they have.
What a great story. I have seen Kandu and Ken at the hospital and they bring such joy and happiness to patients, families and all the staff. Nuts For Mutts - what a hoot! Big congratulations to Kandu, Ken and all of the Heeling Friends teams. And thank you Margaret for writing such a nice piece.
Mr. Wall's short history as Sheriff has shown him to be nothing short of arrogant, confrontational and dismissive of anyone who would question him. I do not recall him saying this would be part of his policy when he was campaigning. At a time when it is important that EVERYONE try to work with a spirit of cooperation, Mr. Wall has chosen to try and carve out his own little empire, make up his own rules to live by and give the finger to anyone who questions him.
For all of you who have related your stories of these encounters with those herd guard dogs, I would encourage you to call the Forest Service and let them know about your incident. And do not hesitate to follow up asking what was done about your complaint. Both the Forest Service and the herd owners need to be held accountable.
Let me toss out a couple of thoughts for some folks to chew on. We own land that is leased for sheep grazing. Dukebets was correct in that fees are charged on a per head basis for sheep and cattle grazing which the National Forest Service will generally pay about $5 per head per year. Even though these fees seem low it used to be free to the sheep herd owners.
The National Forest Service can include provisions that require these herds to stay away from any area they prescribe. So far they have not, principally because incidents such as these are rare, if not rarely reported.
The herders who are hired to tend the sheep are not expected to be with 100% of the herd 100% of the time. These guys need to take breaks, sleep, etc. and are often tending more than one herd at a time, hence the dogs to guard the sheep.
These dogs are supposed to be trained to go after any animal that is posing a threat to the sheep but never go after people under any circumstances. Yet our experience has shown that these dogs have run away from the herd towards our dogs when they were leashed. And these dogs have at times run away from the herd, barking and snarling at people without dogs. Based on what was posted by Trinity and Phidgt some of these dogs have done exactly the same thing.
My advise to all is: Be aware of everything that has been posted here and reported. The dogs are supposed to only go after an animal that is posing a direct threat to the herd, not people or pets that are leashed. If you have an encounter where the dogs go beyond this then report it to the National Forest Service (if that is where you are) or whoever is responsible for that land. If the complaints continue then perhaps the NFS will intervene and make efforts to ensure that the herders dogs stay within their scope of protection.
I do not buy the argument that because this is the way it has been for a hundred years then that's the way it is. A hundred years ago many of these trails never existed, the recreating public was less than 10% of what there is now, there were no dirt bikes, no snowmobiles, no mountain bikes or anything resembling a running shoe. These areas have become multi-use and multi-purpose. Ultimately the NFS will need to engage in a little tighter management should incidents such as this continue.
Part of the problem continues to be over-management of the entire construction zone. Currently the construction is focused on just 0.8 miles of road yet there is 4.2 miles of road needlessly being restricted as "the" construction zone. Perhaps 4.2 mles will eventually have something done to it but why make people slow and crawl through an area where there is absolutely nothing going on. I am aware that the state requires a margin of sorts before and after a construction zone but not a 3.6 mile buffer.
In part it is laziness and economics by the construction company. They only have to set out their signs one time in one place instead of shifting them as needed. Even though this would be a huge benefit to the public that does not seem to be a priority.
I have seen this mentality before and clearly Mr. Horner is choosing to ignore the existing laws and simple courtesy. This is a county maintained public road. Motorists have the right to drive on this road, cyclists have the right to ride on this road, runners have the right to jog along this road, farmers have the right to move their machinery up and down this road and ranchers have the right to move their livestock up and down this road. Yet whenever Mr. Horner gets behind the wheel of his truck, EVERYONE else is expected to get out his way. Mr. Horner is the kind of driver who will be pulling his trailer at 5-10 mph below the speed limit with cars stacked up behind him and will never pull over.
What an idiot. It is clear that Mr. Horner is just waiting for the chance to take out a cyclist, no matter the situation.
Colorado's new fracking rules lauded
This is largely a meaningless gesture. OK, so we may know what is going into a well but now what? So it shows up in our wells, is that going to stop them from using the chemicals or motivate county officials to change anything? Absolutely not.
Although it has been pointed out that the butane-fracking that was used at the Hayden well did not utilize any water, it did use over 500,000 gallons of a butane gel which went into the well. Is hauling this much gas back and forth any safer than some chemicals being pumped into the well?
December 14, 2011 at 6:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
2 of 3 Routt County commissioners don’t see need for oil well moratorium
First to address the employment argument, as noted by the industry officials present at the meeting the vast majority of personnel used to drill and maintain a well will be brought in from other areas. They will “fill in” and attempt to train locals only as necessary. Moreover drilling the well is the most labor-intensive part of the process. Once the well is in place it is virtually self-sufficient and requires little more than routine maintenance. The effect on the county’s unemployment rate will be nominal.
Nobody at the meeting was advocating the prohibition of oil and gas drilling in the county. In fact one industry representative commented on how thoughtful and respectful the attendees were with their comments and suggestions. The common theme of a moratorium was because there is a great deal of groundwork to put in place concerning emergency plans, environmental impact studies and health and safety concerns and nobody felt the need to be rushing into this.
Quickdollar, er, Quicksilver and Shell have been through this public process hundreds of times. It is a dog and pony show to them and they factor it into their cost of doing business. In their view this is by and large a process to try and make the community feel better about them as companies and give the impression that the community actually has some say so.
With that said these companies have been buying up leases, and in the case of Quickdollar buying up thousands of acres of land in south Routt, knowing what the process could be and what the possible resolutions may come from that process. They know full well that this could be another Delaware River Basin where they have banned fracking or Santa Fe where the requirements are so onerous that nobody will attempt to apply for a permit. It is part of the gamble.
The other topic that lost traction was the formation of a working group comprised of county staff, industry representatives and citizens. This group could be very effective at sorting through many of the issues in an efficient manner. But this was largely scoffed off as something that would “slow down the process”.
The county commissioners have every right and would be well within their province to put a hold on any permits until all of the concerns can be addressed and resolved thoroughly and carefully. It is their responsibility.
December 8, 2011 at 8:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Dan Hulslander: Roundabout risky
Dan:
These are the same geniuses that can not even get a handful of traffic signals sequenced on Lincoln Ave.. Or maybe they should not even try as it could be no worse.
The towns of Avon and Vail have absolutely fallen in love with traffic circles. They are everywhere, even to the point where you have to drive through three of them in a row. It's kind of like a ride at Elitches. Traffic circles work well when they are part of the initial design of a roadway and intersection. They work horribly when they are retrofitted to an intersection where there is not adequate room and there are already a number of other issues such as crosswalks and bad visibility.
Steamboat is not Avon or Vail nor are we Denver (thankfully). But that does not mean it needs to be amateur hour when it comes to the traffic engineering department. The voters should pass a resolution that the city may not be allowed to install any more traffic circles or traffic lights until they learn how to manage the ones they have.
July 30, 2008 at 5:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Two-legged dog takes top honors at mutt contest
What a great story. I have seen Kandu and Ken at the hospital and they bring such joy and happiness to patients, families and all the staff. Nuts For Mutts - what a hoot! Big congratulations to Kandu, Ken and all of the Heeling Friends teams. And thank you Margaret for writing such a nice piece.
June 13, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Wall won't compromise 'integrity' at county's request
Mr. Wall's short history as Sheriff has shown him to be nothing short of arrogant, confrontational and dismissive of anyone who would question him. I do not recall him saying this would be part of his policy when he was campaigning. At a time when it is important that EVERYONE try to work with a spirit of cooperation, Mr. Wall has chosen to try and carve out his own little empire, make up his own rules to live by and give the finger to anyone who questions him.
How long until the next election?
September 9, 2007 at 7:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Dogs kill pet at Dumont Lake
For all of you who have related your stories of these encounters with those herd guard dogs, I would encourage you to call the Forest Service and let them know about your incident. And do not hesitate to follow up asking what was done about your complaint. Both the Forest Service and the herd owners need to be held accountable.
September 6, 2007 at 6:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Dogs kill pet at Dumont Lake
Let me toss out a couple of thoughts for some folks to chew on. We own land that is leased for sheep grazing. Dukebets was correct in that fees are charged on a per head basis for sheep and cattle grazing which the National Forest Service will generally pay about $5 per head per year. Even though these fees seem low it used to be free to the sheep herd owners.
The National Forest Service can include provisions that require these herds to stay away from any area they prescribe. So far they have not, principally because incidents such as these are rare, if not rarely reported.
The herders who are hired to tend the sheep are not expected to be with 100% of the herd 100% of the time. These guys need to take breaks, sleep, etc. and are often tending more than one herd at a time, hence the dogs to guard the sheep.
These dogs are supposed to be trained to go after any animal that is posing a threat to the sheep but never go after people under any circumstances. Yet our experience has shown that these dogs have run away from the herd towards our dogs when they were leashed. And these dogs have at times run away from the herd, barking and snarling at people without dogs. Based on what was posted by Trinity and Phidgt some of these dogs have done exactly the same thing.
My advise to all is: Be aware of everything that has been posted here and reported. The dogs are supposed to only go after an animal that is posing a direct threat to the herd, not people or pets that are leashed. If you have an encounter where the dogs go beyond this then report it to the National Forest Service (if that is where you are) or whoever is responsible for that land. If the complaints continue then perhaps the NFS will intervene and make efforts to ensure that the herders dogs stay within their scope of protection.
I do not buy the argument that because this is the way it has been for a hundred years then that's the way it is. A hundred years ago many of these trails never existed, the recreating public was less than 10% of what there is now, there were no dirt bikes, no snowmobiles, no mountain bikes or anything resembling a running shoe. These areas have become multi-use and multi-purpose. Ultimately the NFS will need to engage in a little tighter management should incidents such as this continue.
September 6, 2007 at 2:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Construction returns on 131
Part of the problem continues to be over-management of the entire construction zone. Currently the construction is focused on just 0.8 miles of road yet there is 4.2 miles of road needlessly being restricted as "the" construction zone. Perhaps 4.2 mles will eventually have something done to it but why make people slow and crawl through an area where there is absolutely nothing going on. I am aware that the state requires a margin of sorts before and after a construction zone but not a 3.6 mile buffer.
In part it is laziness and economics by the construction company. They only have to set out their signs one time in one place instead of shifting them as needed. Even though this would be a huge benefit to the public that does not seem to be a priority.
June 21, 2007 at 12:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jack Horner: Cyclists beware
I have seen this mentality before and clearly Mr. Horner is choosing to ignore the existing laws and simple courtesy. This is a county maintained public road. Motorists have the right to drive on this road, cyclists have the right to ride on this road, runners have the right to jog along this road, farmers have the right to move their machinery up and down this road and ranchers have the right to move their livestock up and down this road. Yet whenever Mr. Horner gets behind the wheel of his truck, EVERYONE else is expected to get out his way. Mr. Horner is the kind of driver who will be pulling his trailer at 5-10 mph below the speed limit with cars stacked up behind him and will never pull over.
What an idiot. It is clear that Mr. Horner is just waiting for the chance to take out a cyclist, no matter the situation.
June 17, 2007 at 9:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )