Changes in the Works for CO Oil and Gas Development

Oil and gas regulators, industry representatives and environmentalists met this week to discuss creating a consistent set of state regulations for oil and gas development. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is the body in charge of both promoting and regulating oil and gas development. The current discussion focused on water quality standards. Proposed changes included requiring water testing before and after development in an effort to provide a baseline to hold companies accountable for pollution.

Most groundwater contamination occurs from surface spills during initial drilling; not from fracking activities. Residents near oil and gas development fear groundwater contamination because petroleum material contains benzene, which causes cancer. The new regulations would bring about more accountability, but might bring economic hardship to the state as well.

The proposed regulations are creating investment concerns. "Folks realize there's going to be a testing program," Colorado Petroleum Association President Stan Dempsey said. "It has to be done the right way. If the regulatory situation isn't as certain in Colorado as in another state, (company) investment dollars could flow to another part of the country or another part of the world."

However, oil and gas development companies will also experience benefits as residents will become more comfortable with development through the more rigorous standards. "It is a very rigorous standard," Environmental Defense Fund, Regional Director Dan Grossman said. "If you put in a robust system, you can bolster confidence of people in the state that these actions are being done responsibly."


Colorado Oil and Gas Statistics*

• There are 49,236 active wells statewide
• This number is up 31% since 2008 

• ·         Weld County- 17,844 active wells
  • 40% of spills in this county have reached groundwater 
   

Angelica Oman

Graduate Program Assistant

*Statistics found at the Denver Post.

USFS Christmas Trees Permits Available

The Forest Service manages 193 million acres of public land. Their mission is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests.These lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply and contribute to more than $13 billion to the economy through visitor spending. The Rocky Mountain Region manages 11 national forests throughout Colorado, and an additional six areas in Nebraska and most of South Dakota and Wyoming.

Did you know that you can cut down a US Forest Service tree for Christmas? All you have to do is call the Ranger office closest to where you would like to cut and ask about getting a Christmas tree cutting permit. Areas closest to Denver charge $10 per tree with a limit of 5 trees.

It is a holiday tradition for many in the area to select a tree from the regions finest public lands. In addition to experiencing Colorado’s beautiful forests, you are actively helping to manage the national forests. The Forest Service utilizes these permits to thin smaller diameter trees from concentrated areas.

“Trees from your national forests brighten homes across the country every year,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “We encourage people to be aware of changing weather conditions, dress accordingly and always follow safe cutting practices when looking for that perfect tree this holiday season.”

Click here for an interactive map of Colorado’s Forest Service lands.

For more information about tree cutting on USFS land, visit the USFS website.

Angelica Oman

Graduate Program Assistant 

Featured Student: Darracott Osawe

Darracott Osawe is just finishing his first semester as a LLM student in the Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Program. He just moved here from Nigeria, where he was an environmental lawyer and professor. We recently talked to him about his experience thus far in the ENRGP Program. Darracott has a very impressive future ahead of him as he plans to go back to Nigeria and share his knowledge of natural resources law, specifically oil and gas development. We hope he enjoys his last semester with us and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Why did you choose the University of Denver's Graduate Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Program?
I decided to undertake the program basically for two reasons. First, I am a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Benin, in Nigeria, where I was involved in research into various aspects of Environmental Law. Furthermore, I am the litigating counsel for Climate Change Africa (CCA), a non-governmental organization in Nigeria committed to advocating for the protection of the environment and natural resources. My friends in Nigeria recommended the University of Denver to me as a place where I can acquire the academic knowledge and training needed to succeed in this endeavor.

What do you like about the program?
I like the small size of the class which enables the professors to teach and relate with students on a personal level. I also like the crop of smart, dedicated and intelligent professors who are always willing and available to impact knowledge. Lastly, Prof. Don Smith and Lucy Daberkow are a balancing factor in the program. They are patient, understanding and always available to provide an atmosphere which would enable students get the best from the program.

What advice do you have for prospective applicants?
My advice to prospective applicant is that if they wish to acquire knowledge in a first class university outstanding and committed to teaching and research into various aspects of interesting courses like International and Comparative Mining Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law and Energy Law, they should think of no other university than the University of Denver.

Turkey-day and Our Environment

As we prepare to feast with family and friends and reflect on all that we are thankful for, let us be grateful for the food we eat. Let us eat our meals with awareness of what it takes for us to be able to enjoy such delicious bounty.

The resources required to produce enough turkey supply to meet demand is surprising. Nearly 105 billion gallons of water is needed, which is enough to supply New York City’s water needs for over 100 days.

Let’s consider the cost of producing turkey per pound: The resources required to produce each pound of turkey is equivalent to a car driven 11 miles and a 130 minute shower. Producing one pound of turkey meat creates 5kg of CO2 emissions and uses 520 gallons of water according to the Environmental Working Group.

The National Resources Defense Council has determined that Americans will buy 581 million pounds of turkey meat for Thanksgiving this year, but will end up throwing out more than a third of it. Turkey waste may reach $282 million which contributes to the $165 billion of uneaten food that Americans waste per year.

“It’s really shocking to think that we are wasting so much food when we could be feeding our own population," says Dana Gunders, Food and Agriculture Project Scientist at the NRDC. "We estimate that if we were to reduce food waste by 15 percent, that would be equivalent to the amount of food needed to feed 25 million Americans, those who are going hungry.”

Greely Colorado’s Water Conservation Program estimates that it takes over 40,000 gallons of water to produce the food and prepare Thanksgiving dinner for eight. They have offered a few tips to help conserve water when cooking tomorrow’s feast.

Turkey Facts: wild turkeys can run up to 25 miles per hour and their gobbles can be heard up to a mile away.

For more information and ideas to help reduce waste this Thanksgiving visit The Daily Meal.

Angelica Oman

Graduate Progam Assistant

Collaborative Center for International Development Soon to Open in Denver

There is a trend emerging in the non-profit sector across the United States, shared office space. Many of these centers simply share a physical building and in turn resources like printing costs, accounting, and offer brown bag lunch series. Others have established into their mission, vision, and goals an ethic of collaboration and building reciprocity towards the similar good work the organizations housed in the space support. The soon to open Denver Greenhouse Project is such a space. 

Led by the vision and efforts of former Colorado State Senator Andrew Romanoff, now Senior Advisor to iDE-InternationalDevelopment Enterprises, a main tenant of the project. The Greenhouse Project will be the first example in the country of a shared office space and center for collaboration that focuses on international development and ending global poverty. Friends of ENCA Farm, the organization I founded to support organic farming preservation and environmental education in the Philippines will join 27 other fantastic organizations in this historic building located in the Curtis Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, set to open this coming summer. The work of the other tenants includes agriculture, education, energy, health, infrastructure, and microfinance, and as a collective the Greenhouse organizations work in over 72 countries around the globe.

Friends of ENCA Farm, is very excited about being apart of this center for innovation. Not only will it connect our work in the Philippines with wonderful partners that do similar development work around the globe. But the Greenhouse plans to offer virtual educational and training sessions that will allow our partners, farmers, and community members throughout the Philippines to access a wealth of knowledge. These trainings will benefit Philippine organic farming initiatives, environmental sustainability, and build our shared reciprocity with fellow international development organizations.

To learn more about the collaborative and how you can get involved please visit:

http://www.ideorg.org/OurNetwork/D90Network.aspx#.

Sherry Manning

MRLS Graduate 2010

Founder and Executive Director Friends of ENCA Farm

About the Author:

Prior to completing her Masters in Resource Law Studies from the Sturm College of Law, Sherry Manning served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines from 2006-2008. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Friends of ENCA Farm. To learn more about their work in the Philippines please visit www.encaorganicfarm.com.

Program Alumni Speak to Students About Career Opportunities at SDSG

Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy alumni, Nadia Ahmad and Kristi Disney made time in their schedules to come and speak to students interested in international environmental law on Thursday November 8^th.

Ms. Ahmad and Ms. Disney came with Professor Cecilia Dalupan to share the mission, projects and programs of the Sustainable Development Strategies Group (SDSG). They also highlighted internship opportunities available for students.

SDSG is a sustainable development consulting group focused on capacity building for governments, communities and practitioners. Professor Dalupan, a Principal of SDSG, spoke passionately about the increasing awareness of environmental and natural resources sustainability issues. SDSG’s projects include the Model Mine Development Agreement, a template for government leaders when making long-term mining agreements. Other projects focus on transparency initiatives, government accountability, community benefits sharing and seminars and workshops to teaching natural resource development skills.

Kristi Disney is now working as the Director of International Programs at SDSG.

Nadia Ahmad is now working as a Legal Fellow at SDSG. Ms. Ahmad stated, “The specializations offered by the ENRGP program will really give you an edge.”

We thank all three of these passionate women for taking time to speak to our students about the exciting opportunities that await them in international environmental law. The ENRGP program also wish Ms. Disney and Ms. Ahmad continued success in their future endeavors!

Boulder Voters Prioritize Environmental Concerns

President Obama was elected for a second term last night. We are looking forward to seeing what his reelection means for environmental concerns in our nation.  Most notably, the Production Tax Credit, which is set to expire at the end of this year and would have an effect many efforts in CO.

Voters in Boulder made two loud environmental declarations at the voting booths last night. Voters approved a five-year extension of the city’s Climate Action Plan tax and a twenty-year extension of its 0.25% sales tax for parks and recreation. 

The Climate Action Plan tax on energy use allows the city to continue renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. Tax revenue provides rebates, credits and energy audits for businesses and homeowners.

"It's really heartening to see that Boulderites supported it so heavily, which keeps Boulder in the forefront of the world with the actions we're taking," Boulder Mayor Matt Appelbaum said. "It allows us to continue as a model for other communities in terms of programs that are cost-effective and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are just a good return on investment."

The Boulder Parks and Recreation tax was approved by an even higher margin. The tax was set to expire in 2015, but city officials wanted to provide for more stability in long term planning. The Parks and Recreation tax generated $7.1 million for parks are recreation in 2012 and contributes 27% of the parks department budget. The tax is now set to expire in 2035. Boulder will see continued improvement to its parks and recreation facilities.

It is exciting to see environmental issues on the ballot and even more exciting to see that the residents of Boulder put such a high value on the condition of their environment. Let's hope the trend of democratic movements toward sustainability and environmental contentiousness continues.

  

Angelica M. Oman

Graduate Program Assistant