10 Mar Action Alert: Tell Your State Representative to Oppose Senate Bill 93

March 10, 2014 –

Remember last year, when a leaky pipeline near Parachute, Colo. spilled about 10,000 gallons of pollutants into groundwater and eventually Parachute Creek?

Crews were on hand for months trying to clean up the tainted soil and water, some of which had alarming levels of 18,000 parts per billion (PPB) of carcinogenic benzene, which is harmful to human health over the EPA standard of 5 PPB.

Now, the oil and gas industry is pushing a bill through Colorado’s State House that would give oil and gas companies the power to condemn your private property in order to build an oil or gas pipeline. This is deeply disturbing and outrageous.

Crews dug intercept trenches and deployed booms to desperately try to
clean up toxic benzene for months near Parachute Creek. Photo credit:
Bruce Gordon, EcoFlight.

What’s worse? This bill has already passed the State Senate.

Take action today! Click here for contact information for state elected officials throughout the Delta County Region. Call, email, or write your State Representative ASAP and tell them to vote no on Senate Bill 93.

This ill-conceived bill is drawing strong opposition from local elected officials in diverse counties.

County Commissioners in Boulder and Weld Counties have come out in opposition, with one elected official expressing grave concerns about the bill that would give the government’s authority of eminent domain to a private company for private gain.

“These companies are like the playground bully,” Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer told the Fort Morgan Times. “They know they have the right of eminent domain and they use that. It’s not a level playing field.”

The oil and gas industry is working hard to push this bill through, so they don’t have to deal with landowners concerned about having a pipeline only 25 feet from a home. Those residents–who didn’t want the pipeline only 25 feet away–were sued by the pipeline company and racked up $2 million in legal bills, by the way.

Your State Representative needs to hear from you ASAP, because this bill could be headed to a committee vote as soon as Wednesday, March 12th.

Take action today to stop the “playground bully” pipeline companies from condemning your property!  Contact your State Representative today and tell them to vote no on Senate Bill 93. Click here for legislator contact information and call, email, or write today.