Public hearing about the revised oil & gas ordinance 1st revised draft and letters to the editor

Revised Draft 1 of the Santa Fe County Oil & Gas Ordinance released January 4, 2008 (click here).

County sponsored public hearing about the revised draft of the oil & gas ordinance to be held Monday, Jan. 7th, 3:00pm at Santa Fe Community College, the William C. Witter Fitness Education Center gymnasium at Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Ave. (click here for map)(click here for campus map)

A New Mexican letter to the editor:
"Citizens must act
The will of the people is loud and clear: Santa Fe County must be protected from the devastation gas and oil activities would bring. If corporations are allowed to ruin our lives and environment, against the will of the people, then democracy is dead. If our elected officials trounce the democratic process with secret meetings and a weakened ordinance, against the will of the people, then Santa Fe County is dead.

According to Noam Chomsky, "the political system is carefully managed to prevent the threat of democracy." That's only true if we don't take action.

Bob Gallagher of New Mexico Oil and Gas Association has stated: "We will not sit back and allow our industry to be vilified and subject to unlawful actions of any individual, private or public body." To that, I respond: We the people will not sit back and allow our democracy to be undermined and subject to the unlawful actions of politicians and corporations.

Ellen Cavalli
Dixon "
Letters to the editor (click here to read this and other letters)

Letters to Santa Fe County regarding 1st draft of the Oil & Gas Ordinance and a letter to Tecton Energy, LLC regarding OCD applications to drill

This post will likely grow.

December 21, 2007:
Joint letter to Santa Fe County from Santa Fe Conservation Trust and Earthworks Institute (click here for the letter, large file).

Letter from the Forest Guardians to Tecton Energy, LLC regarding the Oil Conservation Division applications to drill and the County-sponsored work group (click here for the letter).

Some great oil & gas articles in the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter Rio Grande Sierran (direct link: Rio Grande Sierran) .

December 22, 2007:
Santa Fe Basin Water Association (click here for position paper).

Fred & JJ Milder (click here for letter).

The Cerrillos Hills Parks Coaltion (click here for position paper).

The Acoustic Ecology Institute (click here for position paper).

Santa Fe Councilor Patti Bushee (A Resolution Opposing Oil & Gas Exploitation Within Santa Fe County)

December 24, 2007:
Press Release: Forest Guardians: (Click here to read the press release, "Tecton says 'Frack You' in Denying Request from Groups and Residents to Withdraw Drilling Applications.)

December 27, 2007:
Letter to Commissioner Campos from Forest Guardians, Drilling Santa Fe, Sierra Club and individuals of the Oil & Gas Advisory Committee regarding the meeting scheduled for December 28th (click here to read the letter).

Governor Richardson Issues Statement on Proposed Plans for Oil and Gas Drilling in Galisteo Basin

(Santa Fe, NM) Today Governor Richardson issued the following statement on the proposed oil and gas drilling in the Galisteo Basin:
“I’m skeptical that oil and gas drilling can be conducted in the Galisteo basin without placing our environment and water quality at risk,” said Governor Richardson.
Last month, I asked Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department Secretary Joanna Prukop to ensure that the permit process be open and transparent with full opportunity for public input, and guarantee that any possible drilling have the maximum protections for health and environment and minimum ecological footprint on our community.
She has already negotiated an agreement by Tecton to honor the Santa Fe County moratorium, to use closed loop systems in their drilling like we require on Otero Mesa, and not to dispose of their waste on site.
I’m confident Secretary Prukop and her department will assure our state’s obligations under the law and to our citizens are met.” (click here for the original press release.)

This statement is very disappointing. There is no mention of County authority to regulate and to protect our resources from the adverse impacts of oil & gas activity. There is no mention of the comprehensive survey of the Galisteo Basin's environment, natural resources, hydrology, geology, archaeology, and ground and surface water quality that must be completed prior to authorizing any oil & gas exploration or development. The Galisteo Basin must be protected.

Coalition formed due to the possibility of oil & gas drilling in Santa Fe County

A coalition has formed in regards to the possibility of oil & gas drilling in Santa Fe County. The purpose of the coalition to protect the resources of Santa Fe County from the possibility of oil & gas extraction and will offer positive alternative solutions. In alphabetical order (click on the name below to go to the respective websites):

Commonweal Conservancy
Drilling Santa Fe
Earthworks Institute
IATSE Local 480
New Mexico Environmental Law Center
Oil & Gas Accountability Project (OGAP)
Santa Fe Conservation Trust
Wildlife Federation

Santa Fe County Adds 2nd Written Comment Period for Second Oil & Gas Ordinance

December 18, 2007

County Adds 2nd Written Comment Period for Oil & Gas Ordinance

The Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners, responding to resident requests for an extension of time for public comment, will be adding more time for written public input on the new oil and gas drilling ordinance. The written comment period on the revised draft of the oil and gas drilling ordinance being presented at a January 7th public hearing will be from January 8th through January 23rd. The deadline for written comment for the first draft is December 21st. The purpose of the December 21st deadline is to ensure County staff will have time to adequately process and include as much public contribution as possible before presenting the revised version on January 7th. Receiving 500 letters with technical comments two days before the public hearing does not allow enough time for staff to give them the consideration they deserve. The December 21st deadline also provides a holiday break for residents analyzing the ordinance and writing comments.

“Inviting written comment on the revised draft creates another opportunity for public input” said Roman Abeyta, Santa Fe County Manager. “Every call, letter and email is significant to us and it’s our job to create opportunities for productive public engagement.”



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Contact: Stephen Ulibarri, Public Information Officer (505) 986-6353/795-0828

Santa Fe Reporters David Alire Garcia and Dave Maass

Journalists David Alire Garcia and Dave Maass of the Santa Fe Reporter spent many laborious hours researching and interviewing about the proposed oil & gas drilling in Santa Fe County for the article "Mother Frackers." (click here to link to the article "Mother Frackers").

Oil Conservation Division receives 3 applications from Tecton Energy, LLC to drill in Santa Fe County

"The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division received three applications for permits to drill in Santa Fe County (County) today from Tecton Energy, LLC (Tecton). Before accepting these applications to drill, the Oil Conservation Division negotiated a strict agreement with Tecton on how and when it would proceed in the County if any application to drill was approved." (click here for full press release)

The three wells are: Tecton Ortiz 26-1; Tecton State 16-1; & Tecton Bruce Black 1-2.
For a link to the application with survey maps and aerial views, click here. Warning, it is a large file and will take a long time to open.

Rocky Mountain News, "Beyond the Boom," four days of special reports

"In 'Beyond the Boom,' four days of special reports beginning Dec. 10, the Rocky Mountain News will examine whether Colorado is ready to deal with the phenomenon that could shape its future for decades to come."

Click here for "Beyond the Boom."