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Forest Service Delays Assessment of Colorado Drilling Plan
A proposal to drill for natural gas on Colorado’s Mount Herman in the Pike National Forest has been delayed until spring 2009, the U.S. Forest Service said Thursday.
The proposal has been on the table since 2002. The Forest Service has been working on an environmental assessment, which would include a recommendation on whether to approve or deny a request from Dyad Petroleum Co. of Midland, TX. Dyad owns the mineral rights to around 21,000 acres in the national forest and it has requested permission to drill two exploratory wells.
The delay is required, said the Forest Service, because more information is needed from Dyad on how drilling equipment would impact air quality, how the company plans to monitor groundwater, and what improvements it would make to the roads systems to accommodate traffic for the drilling site. Dyad also has to provide details on the drill pads that would be constructed.
No drilling has been conducted in the national forest since the 1950s, and area stakeholders don’t want drilling to begin again. The Front Range Environmental Resource Coalition (FRERC), formed by area residents, opposes the drilling because of quality of life and environmental issues. The national forest also is a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts.
“We think it’s good news,” said FRERC’s Fred Lanyon. “It’s good news for the reason it gives us more time to get prepared.”
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