The State of Colorado's Watersheds Report 2005

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watershed news Sediment is the biggest water quality problem in the Colorado River basin, according to the Colorado Water Quality Control Division. The soils of western Colorado are already prone to washing into the streams and they have been getting a lot of help from us over the years. Any disturbance that exposes the ground to the elements invites erosion. The EPA and State Water Quality Control Division require anyone who disturbs more than an acre of land to file for a Storm Water Discharge Permit. They have to provide a plan showing how the site will be graded and how sediment or other pollutants from the construction site will be caught and kept from contaminating our rivers and streams. These Best Management Practices (BMP's) are an accepted part of land development. Developers who fail to comply or maintain their sites find the fines and penalties can be substantial. Unbelievably, the oil and gas industry has, up until now, managed to keep themselves exempt from these same permits and requirements. That exemption recently expired and EPA decided that the industry should get another extension of their exemption. Back in March the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission decided otherwise. The oil and gas industry is the largest single land developer in Colorado. For this one industry to be exempt while all other land developers must comply is simply not justifiable. The WQCC felt that way and voted to make the Oil and Gas industry comply with Storm Water discharge permits as of June 30, 2005. COGA (Colorado Oil and Gas Association) and CPA (Colorado Petroleum Association) are now suing to get that ruling overturned. Their primary claim is that there has been no evidence presented showing that oil and gas activities specifically contribute to storm water runoff problems. On the face of it, the COGA /CPA argument is absurd. How is a drilling pad, created by earthmoving equipment, different from any other construction site using the same equipment to create the same kind of disturbance? It isn't. The erodable soils of western Colorado don't care who owns the bulldozer. We all recognize the need for oil and gas. That doesn't mean that this industry is somehow unique and special, deserving of special favors. The oil and gas industry is playing a huge part in western Colorado's economy and communities. The least they can do is be good neighbors and play by the same rules as everyone else. Colorado's rivers, streams and wetlands deserve better treatment from an industry that is getting so much from our watersheds.