Another Gigantic Frozen Mudsicle in Colorado?!

Colorado environmentalists who flew up to the head of Garden Gulch in western Colorado on March 19 were hoping to take some aerial pictures of a frozen "waterfall" of spilled drilling fluid that had been investigated by state Department of Natural Resources staff in late February (see our previous posting on the spills that have plagued this area of intensive drilling for natural gas).

Photo by Pete Kolbenschlag / Mountain West Strategies and EcoFlight

Instead, they found something truly astonishing that hadn't been reported: a 100' tall tower of frozen mud, apparently caused by severe erosion of soil from dirt roads and pipelines that were being built near the rim on the Roan Plateau. Two backhoes and several trucks are plainly visible in these pictures, taken by Pete Kolbenschlag of Mountain West Strategies during a low-altitude flyover by our friend Bruce Gordon of EcoFlight.

What else is lurking out there? Let us know if anything strange pops up...

Roan Plateau - EWG Report

Environmental Working Group just released a compelling report and interactive map that shows the history of gas and oil drilling on and around the Roan Plateau in western Colorado. It's a nice use of Google Maps. This work puts the numbers behind the tremendous burst of drilling illustrated by SkyTruth images.

Roan Plateau, Colorado - Drill It, Too?

Lots of controversy surrounding the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's plan to allow drilling for natural gas on top of the stunning Roan Plateau in western Colorado. The governor asked for extra time to review the plan, and sportsmen's groups have taken a stand against drilling. Even surrounding towns have adopted resolutions against drilling the Plateau.

It's not as if Colorado is unfriendly to drilling: the foot of the Plateau is busy with rigs, as is private land up on top. This area, known to geologists as the Piceance Basin, is one of the most active natural-gas plays in the nation. Check out the SkyTruth image gallery to see the scope of drilling impacts on the landscape here. Lots of satellite images showing the spread of drilling over time, and great aerial shots with more detail taken by our friends at EcoFlight.