Divide Creek Seep 2004 - Oak canopy die-off

This film shows the kind of die-off our oak forest experienced during the natural gas seep in 2004. The leaves had these burnt looking spots on them and overall a lot of leaf die-off occurred. Overall, about 30 percent of the canopy never recovered. Many cedars were impacted then also and so were many pine trees.

Methane displaces oxygen underground and in sufficient quantities, can suffocate root systems.

We are seeing the same thing happen again, although this time, a lot of cedars are dying too and almost all of our cottonwoods have suddenly defoliated.

There has been zero interest from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission regarding this loss of life. In fact, we've only encountered barrier after barrier to a proper investigation of the new seep discovered June 28, 2008.

In April, 2004, this region was the focus of a massive natural gas well blow-out that released an estimated (and acknowledged) 115 million cubic feet of natural gas into the environment.

EnCana Oil and Gas, USA was found by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to have been responsible for this devastating event.

Despite that and despite that the seep is ongoing, and despite us have found a new seep on June 28, 2008, the COGCC continues to allow drilling of this extremely fragile area by the same operator who caused the seep in 2004. And, as of this post (08-06-08) the COGCC (same supervisor in charge of that and this investigation) continues to minimize the full scope of the new seep through a failure to fully investigate. They will not even test the ground water which we drink.

EnCana stands to make 6 billion from drilling and fracing this area, and the absence of inquiry helps ensure they get to keep on pursuing it without adequate protection for the environment or the people who live here.

To follow the course of natural gas development and its impacts to this very special place in Colorado, visit journeyoftheforsaken.com

All videos are best viewed with Quicktime, which you can download free online.

[This video was filmed 08-15-04]

Category:

Education

Tags:

• gas
• fracing
• methane
• trees
• roots
• leaves
• defoliate
• drilling
• EnCana
• pollution
• Divide
• Creek
• oak
• pine
• cedar