Opponents of natural gas drilling in the Western Slope community of Battlement Mesa are pointing to a New Year’s Day fire on an Antero Resources well-pad south of Silt as another reason for Garfield County officials to reject the Denver-based company’s proposal to drill up to 200 wells in their town of 5,000.
County health officials, however, told the Glenwood Springs Post-Independent there was little cause for concern about elevated air pollution from the blaze, which was reportedly put out in about an hour-and-a-half and caused no injuries. Still, the fire may strengthen calls for a baseline health study in the area before drilling is allowed by the state and county.
“This is a prime example of why natural gas production in a residential community is a bad idea and endangers the health and safety of citizens,” resident Dave Devanney, a member of the Battlement Concerned Citizens, wrote in a letter to county environmental health department director Jim Rada.
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