By Dennis Webb

Prompted by Garfield County, Colorado’s two U.S. senators and Rep. John Salazar are pressing federal and state officials for answers to questions regarding natural gas development near the Project Rulison underground nuclear blast site.

Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet and Congressman Salazar, whose 3rd Congressional District includes Garfield County, made their request last week in a letter to Energy Secretary Steven Chu and to David Neslin, director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

“We are interested in making sure that individuals can continue to produce gas in this area and realize the benefits of their rights while also ensuring that such activities are done safely and do not result in threats to the environment or public health and safety,” the three Democrats said in their letter.

Project Rulison involved the 1969 underground detonation of a nuclear bomb south of Rulison in an experimental attempt to produce natural gas. Energy companies have been drilling increasingly in the area, but none have yet sought drilling permits within a half-mile of the blast site, which would require a state hearing.

County commissioners wrote to Chu and Colorado’s congressional delegation in early April, asking them to compel the DOE to drill test wells rather than rely on computer models and results from commercial drilling to determine where it is and isn’t safe to drill. Salazar and the senators are asking state and federal officials what steps will be taken if radioactive materials are discovered during energy development and what evidence there is that the development creates little to no risk.

Jack Craig, the DOE’s project manager for the blast site, said Monday the agency is in the process of responding to the points raised by the county and reiterated in the letter from Salazar, Udall and Bennet.

Neslin said his agency also is preparing a response. It already has made public on its Web site much of what is being requested. Garfield County oil and gas liaison Judy Jordan praised the action by Salazar and the senators. “Certainly I’m glad to see that they’ve taken that step. I think it’s very positive.”

source: Grand Junction Sentinel