New air study finds dangerous chemicals near gas drilling communities in Colo., N.M.

At least 22 toxic chemicals, including four known human carcinogens, were found in nine separate air samples taken near natural gas drilling operations by community advocacy and environmental groups in Garfield and La Plata counties in Colorado and the San Juan Basin of New Mexico, according to a new report from Global Community Monitor.

Battlement Mesa activist: ‘Let’s not go away quietly’ after county scrubs health study

Community activists battling to mitigate the potential environmental impacts of a proposed 200-well natural gas drilling project in Battlement Mesa reacted sharply Tuesday to the news that Garfield County has dropped an ongoing Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to weigh those risks.

Garfield County grapples with gas drilling health impacts as NYT series probes EPA

As The New York Times continues to expose infighting in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its regulation – or the lack thereof – of the nation’s booming natural gas industry, county officials in Colorado are grappling with health impact assessments (HIA) of their own. Garfield County this week released a second draft of an HIA conducted by the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH) and first released last fall. It looks at the potential health impacts of a proposal by Denver-based Antero Resources to drill up to 200 new natural gas wells in the Battlement Mesa community.

Phone survey results on gas drilling fly in face of Maes, Tancredo

Poll after poll, survey after survey, Coloradans continue to say they have serious reservations about the “drill, baby, drill” method of economic recovery. But still, Republicans and former Republicans on third-party tickets continue to run on regulation-roll-back platforms.

New interest in 1041 powers as GarCo study reveals gas drilling health risks

A grassroots group of citizens battling a major natural gas drilling proposal in their Western Slope community has been given the nod to at least show Garfield County officials how they can perhaps exercise a modicum of local control.

Battlement…

In shadow of offshore disaster, growing concern over onshore drilling

The worsening Deepwater Horizon oil spill may be grabbing all the headlines lately, but several much smaller incidents in Colorado and neighboring states are quietly highlighting the need for increased onshore oil and gas drilling regulation.

Colorado’s Western Slope drilling…

Battlement natural gas activists cheer drilling slowdown for health study

Activists monitoring a massive natural gas drilling proposal that would see rigs sited among the homes of Western Slope retirement community Battlement Mesa say Denver-based Antero Resources appears to be putting the brakes on the plan while it participates in an unprecedented health impact study.

Top doc lauds GarCo officials for offer to fund health study

The top doc for a nonprofit group pushing health impact studies as part of the public decision-making process on major development projects recently had high praise for the Garfield County commissioners, who decided they may be able to fund…

Report: Texas town offers cautionary tale on oil and gas drilling emissions

Based on the experiences of one small town in Texas, residents of the Colorado Western Slope community of Battlement Mesa are right to be worried about the potential air-quality impacts of a proposal to drill up to 200 natural gas…

GarCo commissioners may fund health study ahead of Battlement Mesa drilling

The Garfield County commissioners Wednesday indicated their willingness to not only have a health impact assessment conducted in the community of Battlement Mesa, where Antero Resources wants to drill 200 natural gas well, but also offered to fund such a…