RIO RANCHO CITY COUNCIL Candidates Overwhelming in favor of Drilling

Our resident researcher reviewed the city council forum on YouTube. At the 1:10:10 mark the candidates are asked about Sandridge and drilling. I took notes for each speaker, but there was a battery change so several answers were not shown. Also, Rio Rancho observer placed an article endorsing one candidate from each district. Each of their endorsements were in favor of drilling with another company. 

District 1

Joshua Hernandez - in favor of drilling - endorsed by the Observer

Joanne Dudley- no comment either way

Jim Owens - seemed to be against

District 4

David Bency - for drilling - endorsed by observer

Chris Balzano - maybe - pat answer

Battery change, did not hear other speakers

Does anyone know where the other candiates in this district stand on oil drilling? 

District 6

Marlene Feure - seemed to be cautious perhaps against - endorsed by observer 

Ron Hensey - for

Ryan Parea - pro oil

A commone was made on the Facebook article that each candidate endorsed seemed to be in favor of another company drilling. The comment was deleted. Fancy that!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=puARcDzgldo&feature=share

Go to the 1:10:10 mark for Sandridge comments

http://www.rrobserver.com/opinion/article_65dbf150-db55-11e5-b312-f70caf89709c.html

This is an email from the Oil and Gas Association  regarding drilling in Sandoval County and the Next County Commission meeting March 23, 2016 

Don't think for one minute that this is going to stop until theses well speculations are stopped at our expense.

March 23rd next p7Z Meeting on Stopping Fracking and OIl Drilling in the ABQ Basin. 

It is interesting that Manatt's company, Thrust Research developed the prospect for SandRidge.  It is also interesting that this was never disclosed to the public even though  about details on the drilling for their exploratory well from the SandRidge company.  Other than the well was to  be a vertical well county Planners never responded to questions. They could have easily talked about the plans being made by this secret team of Thrust Research and government funded scientists from Los Alamos and Sandia Labs. Interesting that we have a "secret" team of government scientists involved in a project that is willing to commit subterfuge to do their experiments in our community, deceiving the citizens of the community! This information could have been disclosed to the public if the process had actually worked.  We now need to engage in the meeting on this subject on March 23rd. http://cosmiac.org/thrust-areas/  UNM Lab Driven 

From: Jim Manatt <jim.manatt@thrustenergy.com>
To: 
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: Sandoval County P&Z Exploratory Well Zoning Permit
 

Sandridge informed us of their decision to withdraw their permit request from Sandoval County yesterday afternoon.  We are, of course, disappointed and disheartened by this decision.  It is a sad day for Rio Rancho, Sandoval County, the State of New Mexico, our school children, jobs and economic development.

Fortunately, our leases have long terms and are renewable.  We will evaluate the situation, regroup, listen to input, and respond accordingly.  As positive thinkers, we will see if the Phoenix can be raised from the ashes.

I hope that you will be willing to express positive views on the future potential of the project for all of New Mexico.

On 2/22/2016 8:51 PM, Jim Manatt wrote:

Dear Fellow Earth Science Professional:

As you may have seen in the news recently, Sandridge Energy is planning to drill an exploratory test some 6-8 miles northwest of Rio Rancho, testing primarily for Mancos Shale and underlying objectives.  The well has been approved and permitted by our State's regulatory authority the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD).  A special use zoning permit has been requested of the Sandoval P&Z Commission, required on fee minerals.

My company developed the prospect.  The scientific team who worked on this project included several 35-year geologists and geophysicists, including a published, peer-reviewed PhD geological/geophysical expert on the basin.  I speak only for myself and my team. The exploratory test is an important scientific investigation to confirm the strong probability of commercial hydrocarbons in the ABQ Basin using modern drilling and completion methods.  The well has been permitted as a vertical test, to include state-of-the-art to coring, downhole imaging, petrophyscial, geochemical and log analysis of the intervals of interest, essentially an "assay" of the petroleum system for future development.  If successful, the prospect of bringing a third basin into production in New Mexico is profoundly valuable to the school children, grandchildren and people of New Mexico with a major positive impact on our State's Permanent Funds, educational and infrastructure improvement funding.  We are a resource state.

All reasonable parties expect that a responsible future development program would be carefully discussed, planned, permitted, regulated and supervised by scientific and engineering experts within the regulatory authority at OCD, and approved by all stakeholders including the county in a reasonable and responsible manner based upon the knowledge gained by the Sandridge test.  At this moment, a vocal opposition group is apparently unwilling to consider even a responsible exploratory test, much less a future development program, in spite of the fact that Sandoval County is a producing county with some 1,600 oil & gas wells in existence, about 700 in current production.  These include approximately some 70 new lateral wells drilled in the Mancos in the northwestern part of Sandoval county by Encana and WPX Energy, with excellent results.  The currently proposed vertical exploratory test will confirm the extension and existence of an economic petroleum system into this area.

A recent Op Ed I wrote for the Rio Rancho Observer is attached if you would like further information, particularly economic impact and contributions.  If you care to be heard at the Sandoval County P&Z Commission considering this project, the next meeting is at 6 PM, Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at the Sandoval County Administrative Building, 1500 Idalia Rd, Building D, Bernalillo, NM 87004.  I hope that if you are in agreement that a single test is a worthy scientific investigation, you will attend and speak.

SandRidge Pulls Application to Drill in Rio Rancho

SandRidge Pulls Application to Drill in Rio Rancho

Sandridge Energy gets pass back to the P&Z Commission

Tonight the Sandoval County Commission granted Sandridge their request to postpone the hearing before the County Commission saying they needed to submit more information to the county. The Board voted 4-1 to remand the case back to the P&Z. 

The crowd was disappointed that we still have this issue hanging over their heads. Our group asked that the application be heard tonight and then voted down. The Board followed what they have done in previous cases where they remanded cases in order to give the applicant more time to provide needed information. This is third time they changed the process without asking for Sandridge to reapply. They were granted a waiver for a public information meeting, they got to amend their application in Dec and tonight they were granted more time. The P&Z will hear it March 23rd, and we go through the same process again. The Sandoval Board of County Commissioners may end up hearing this case in April. 

More to come... We will be there, Fighting the Good Fight! 

Tonight we may be on the news Channels 4&7 were there.

County Commission Meeting Feb 18th

All hands raised against fracking in the Rio Grande Valley

Tell the Sandoval County Commission 

NO to Fracking and Oil Drilling  

Thurs.

Feb.18th,

6 pm 

County Commission Chambers 

3rd Floor 1500 Idalia Road, Building D Bernalillo, NM 87004 

Sandridge Energy/AMREP Application goes before Sandoval County Commission

This is your time to voice your concerns on oil drilling and fracking in our community. We need the largest turn out ever to vote down the application.

PROTECT our property values by voicing opposition to this application 

PROTECT our children and our families health,

PROTECT our community from: unfunded mandates, catastrophic accidents, impacts to first responders, water contamination including surface and ground water, road destruction from, excessive vehicle traffic, noise, toxic fumes from hauling, flaring and methane and other VOCs releases from fracking and drilling operations.  

There are over 30 Impacts from fracking to our community that violated the zoning ordinances as it now stands. Sandridge Energy/AMREP is asking for a special use permit. Go to our  website, download the resident form, write a 300 word statement for 2 minute comments or submit to County Commission via email. 

County Contact List on website.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 

COME TO THE MEETING ON FEB. 18th

Make a call, write an email or request an appointment to ask the County Commissioners:

Vote down the Sandridge AMREP application,

Move to establish a moratorium on oil and gas drilling, 

Vote to establish a strong oil and gas ordinance for Sandoval County. 

We still Need People to Cover * 9 More topics to cover.
Anyone wanting to Cover these impacts at C0unty Board Meeting?

Health Effects -- #17
Public Safety -- School Bus safety, Children's Welfare.

And any number below that
does not have a persons name and an asterisk *

#1 - Adverse Effects on Farmland *
#2 - Adverse Economic Development *
#3 Jackie Coombs - Housing Costs and Scarcity
#4 - maybe Donnie or Paul Allen - Property Values *
#5 Mike Milliard - Truck Safety and Road Conditions
#6 Paula Smith - Air Pollution
#7 Jackie Coombs - Crime Associated
#8 - Difficult WorkForce Retention*
#9 - Constraint of Growth *
#10 -Paula Smith & Lesile macFadden - Earthquakes
#11- Environmental Imacts From San and Gravel Mining
#13 Janice Bilbao - GroundWater/Well Casings
#16 - Infrastructure inadequacies*
#17 - Health Effects *
#25 - Wildlife Loss of habitat *
#26 - Loss of Open Space *
#27 Elaine CImino - Noise Pollution *
#29 - Soil Erosion *
#30 - Soil Compaction*
#31 - Strain on Water Infrastructre*
#32 Benton Howell -Surface Water
#33 Elaine Cimino -Visiual blight
#34 Robert Lang -Waste Water
#35 Dave Smith - Mike Neas - Palicitas Coalition - Water Depetion

See the precedding blog, Impact of Fracking. pick a topic, read the impact summary and ordinance and master plan citation that the impact violates. Then read your statement on the issues in 250-300 words, a person only has 2 minutes to speak.  We need more speakers to read and submit their statement at the meeting for the record. 

Still need these Impacts Covered for Thursday Meeting

Here are the Impact of Fracking Item Numbers Covered for thursday Night County Meeting

See the www.stopthefrackattack.blogspot.com For the Numer

We still Need People to Cover * 9 More topics to cover.

Anyone wanting to Cover these impacts at COunty Board Meeting?

Health Effects -- #17

Public Safety -- School Bus safety, Children's Welfare.

And any number below that does not have a Persons Name and naan asterisk *

#1 - Adverse Effects on Farmland *

#2 - ADverse Economic Development*

#3 Jackie Coombs- Housing Costs and Scarcity

#4 maybe Donnie or Paul Allen - Property Values

#5 Mike Milliard Truck Safety and Road Conditions

#6 Paula Smith Air Pollution

#7-Jackie Coombs Crime Associated

#8 - Difficult WorkForce Retention*

#9 - Constraint of Growth *

#10 Paula Smith & Lesile macFadden Earth Quakes

#11- Environmental Imacts From San and Gravel Mining

#13 Janice Bilbao GroundWater/Well Casings

#16 - Infrastructure inadequacies*

#17 - Health Effects *

#25 - Wildlife Loss of habitat *

#26 - Loss of Open Space *

#27 Elaine CImino Noise Pollution *  

#29 - Soil Erosion *

#30 - Soil Compaction*

#31 - Strain on Water Infrastructre*

#32 Benton Howell -Surface Water

#33 Elaine Cimino -Visiual blight

#34-Robert Lang -Waste Water

#35 Dave Smith --Mike Neas - Palicitas Coalition Water Depetion

Comments ON Sandridge Application by Michael Neas

These comments are for the Record on the Feb 18th Board of County Commission Meeting.

Tues, February 9, 2016

SUBJECT: ZNCH‐15‐003 “Zone Map Amendment”
Written comments by Michael Neas
SandRidge requests a Special Use “Zone Map Amendment” which would allow an oil and or gas fracking well. Fracking is a petroleum production process with numerous potential public and environmental safety hazards. These hazards have the potential to negatively impact all biological life for miles around and for generations to come. One purpose of all applicable Sandoval County Ordinances and the Rio Rancho Extraterritorial Zone is the safety, and general welfare of area residents. SandRidge has not met nor even attempted to meet the requirements of the statutes, ordinances, area plans and municipal codes in place. And because of this inadequate and superficial attempt to bypass the intent of the rules in place, the County Commission shall not approve the SandRidge application.

Quality water, in adequate quantities is of great importance and concern to all residents who rely on the Albuquerque Basin. The Albuquerque Basin supplies water to more than one million people. Those people are the area residents that must be considered when granting a Special Use for oil and gas exploration and production.

Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance ­ Document #2010028894 (PDF)

SECTION 10. SU ‐ SPECIAL USE DISTRICT.
A. Intent. This zone district accommodates developments that require special consideration because of their magnitude, unusual nature, infrequent operations, questionable impact on surrounding property, or other similar reason. The boundaries of this district shall be determined on a case‐by‐case basis following amendment procedures provided in Section 19 of this Ordinance. Special conditions may be imposed by the County Board following recommendation by the Zoning Commission. The County Board may not grant a Zone Map Amendment for establishment of a Special Use District unless satisfactory provisions have been made:
1. To assure that compatibility of property uses shall be maintained in the general area;
2. To preserve the integrity and character of the area in which the Special Use District will be located, and the utility and value of property in the Special Use District and in adjacent zone districts; and
3. To assure that the Special Use District will not become detrimental to the public health, safety, or general welfare of the County.
4. To assure that the Special Use District will not conflict with the Sandoval County Comprehensive Plan or any other applicable land use plans adopted by the County.

Sandoval County has not received adequate information from SandRidge. SandRidge proposes to drill in an Active Fault Zone. SandRidge has made no attempt to convince anyone that a two mile long, 18” wide hollow concrete and steel cylinder could stand up to any seismic activity that SandRidge’s own fracking processes might set off. Rio Rancho has expressed this concern and others that SandRige has refused to address. SandRidge proposes to drill in a Water Conservation Area. On Dec. 10, 2015, they falsely stated that they had a water agreement with Rio Rancho for their exploration and production processes. In any case this water would at least in part come from the same Water Conservation Area and the waters removal from the natural water cycle of the area and the state would be and is contrary to the intent of the Rio Rancho Estates Area Plan.

SandRidge has made no attempt to address the traffic impact concerns that hundreds of vehicle trips place on the public. Is the public expected to rely on SandRidge to place the public’s health, safety and welfare first, without proper provisions in the form of writing. Many of these vehicles will be transporting toxic waste through populated areas and disposing this waste elsewhere in Sandoval County. SandRidge has a recent history of ignoring public sentiment and governmental requirements. SandRidge has made no references to any special needs Sandoval County or Rio Rancho might have in order to prepare for and or repair in the case of any possible catastrophic eventuality. These are the intended provisions of a SPECIAL USE DISTRICT that must be in the form of documentation.

Lacking an Oil and Gas Ordinance, Sandoval County must rely on the requirements of the statutes, ordinances, area plans and municipal codes in place to determine the merit of the SandRidge application. SandRidge must comply with, and supply the required information and with such certainty as to satisfy the intent of those rules.

The County also must comply with the specifications and the intent of the statutes, ordinances, area plans and municipal codes in place. To date the Planning and Zoning Commission has not prepared and submitted a recommendation to the County Commission which includes any of their own suggestions to the County Commission. Instead I am told that the County Commission will receive the same Staff Report as the P and Z Commission relied on. But the staff recommendation is not exactly equal to a P and Z Commissioners perspective and should at least be modified to reflect the reasons of a unanimous vote to accept staff’s recommendation to deny the SandRidge application.
The P and Z Commissioners themselves have valued opinions and input which are missing in the Staff Report. Staff changed their recommendation in two separate reports, possibly because of public outcry and input. The P and Z Commissioners themselves may also have important comment which is different from a staff report that was written prior to the second P and Z Commission meeting on this Zone Map Amendment. The overwhelming desire of some 500 people at two separate P and Z Commission meetings, was for a moratorium on oil and gas exploration and production within 10 miles of the Albuquerque Basin and the Santa Fe Group Aquifer in order to write and hopefully adopt a comprehensive Oil and Gas Ordinance. This is not contained in the Staff Report. The exclusion of these important recommendation causes the public to have to reiterate to the County Commisson and squander precious time.

The County Board shall not approve the Zone Map Amendment for the reasons in bold print below.

• Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance SECTION 19. AMENDMENTS.
• F. Zone Map Amendment Guidelines. The County Board shall not approve a Zone Map Amendment unless satisfactory provision has been made concerning the following, where applicable.
• 1. Accessibility to property and existing or proposed structures thereon, with particular reference to automobile and pedestrian safety, traffic control, and emergency access in case of fire, flood or catastrophe;
• 2. Off‐street parking and loading areas where required, with particular attention to the refuse and service areas;
• 3. Water and liquid waste facilities, with reference to soil limitations, locations, and public health.
• 4. The economic, noise, glare, or odor effects of the conditional amendment on adjoining properties; 5. The general compatibility of the proposed amendment with actual or prospective permissive zoning use of adjacent properties;
• 6. The overall health and safety of the community; and,
• 7. Conformance to the Sandoval County Comprehensive Plan and other applicable land use plans adopted by the County.
• 8. The applicant has had a pre‐application public meeting where he has invited property owners, occupants, and county staff affected by the proposed amendment when the amendment involves: (a). creation of a Special Use (S‐P) District;
• (b). creation of a Master Planned (M‐P) District; or
• (c). change of an urban residential zone to any other classification.
• No Pre Application Public Meeting was held.

Additional areas of concern are as follows;

• Extraterritorial Zones are established by New Mexico Statute 3‐19‐5 (19. Planning and Platting, 3‐19‐1 through 3‐ 19‐12. and 3‐20‐5 ( 20. Subdivisions; Planning and Platting, 3‐20‐1 through 3‐20‐16.) pertaining to Municipalities.
• A municipality having a population fewer than two hundred thousand people and greater than twenty five thousand people and located in a class A County has jurisdiction over subdivision, which includes all territory within five miles of the boundary of the municipality. Each municipality shall have planning and platting jurisdiction within its municipality and all territory within five miles of its boundary.
• The City of Rio Rancho had a population of roughly ninety four thousand people in 2014. Rio Rancho has adopted its own Municipal Code: http://www.codepublishing.com/NM/RioRancho/ which includes Section 155.03 JURISDICTION. These regulations are designed to accomplish the procedures for the processing, consideration and filing of plats lying within the corporate boundaries of the city and/or within a radius of five miles from the city planning and platting jurisdiction pursuant to NMSA §§ 3‐19‐5 and 3‐20‐5. No subdivision of any land shall hereinafter be effected within the city area of jurisdiction except in accordance with the provisions of these regulations.  
• 155.04 PURPOSE.
• These regulations are intended to create orderly, harmonious and economically sound development of land in order to establish conditions favorable to the health, safety, convenience and general welfare of citizens of the city and its area of jurisdiction. More specifically, provisions of these regulations are designed to achieve adequate provision for light and air, public open spaces, water supply, drainage, sanitation including sewer facilities; economy in governmental expenditures and efficiency in governmental operations; safe convenient circulation of people, goods and vehicles; accurate and complete surveying and preparation and recording of plats thereof; safety and suitability of land for contemplated development; and coordination of land development in accordance with orderly physical patterns as stated in official plans, policies and ordinances and codes in furtherance of plans and policies as may have been and may be hereafter adopted by the city.
• 155.21 PREAPPLICATION; PLANS AND DATA.
• (A) (1) Submission.
• (a) All proposed subdivisions, replats or plat vacations shall comply with the requirements of these regulations.

The RREAP allows for light industrial/assembly in designated areas. Oil and gas exploration and production is a heavy industry which uses exorbitant amounts of water. Water issues are a part of the health, safety and welfare of the entire Albuquerque Basin. Contamination and depletion do not know city and county boundaries. And if a producible quantity of oil or gas is found there could be far more than this single well. The entire community is much larger that the few properties surrounding a well site. As explained this potentially affected community includes possibly a million people. The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) services over 600,000 users and the ABCWUA boundary is approximately 5 miles from the proposed fracking site.
Water concerns for the Albuquerque Basin water users include potential contamination of the aquifer itself and depletion of the aquifer. This depletion is multiplied with each well drilled. Depletion and contamination could have consequences on communities other than Rio Rancho and outside of Sandoval County. The ABCWUA has not been commented regarding the water aspects and Rio Rancho’s concerns and comments have not been addressed.

The SandRidge fracking water or toxic waste would be trucked on public roads to a disposal site near La Jara, in Sandoval County. SandRidge has not specified trucking routes, permit requirements, number of truck loads, size of trucks, times of day and much more. SandRidge has also not disclosed what chemicals will be included in the fracking waste water, how it will be disposed, how deep, etc., and all of the same issues and concerns might apply to that area of Sandoval County as well.

This document is intended to address many aspects of the SandRidge application that may need to be revisited should an appeal result.