WATER INSANITY, TRADING WATER FOR OIL

By Mike Neas – Individuals within the City of Rio Rancho and the Sandoval County Planning and Zoning Dept. seem to be on track to allow a fracking Oil and Gas well just outside of the City of Vision. This fracking well will penetrate the Santa Fe Group aquifer which the people in the Rio Rancho, Corrales and Bernalillo areas depend on to exist here in this water strapped Southwest. For years the County and the City have expressed concerns for conservation and the need to find new sources of water in order to provide for the fastest growing and 3rd largest city in New Mexico. The well would be located in a Water Conservation Area and will require possibly a million gallons and more of water. SandRidge, the financially flailing Oil Company which hopes to produce petroleum products with the highly controversial and toxic fracking process has said that an agreement has been reached with Rio Rancho to supply the needed water.

Water is the most important ingredient in the fracking process. It is mixed with toxic chemicals in order to allow previously irretrievable amounts of oil and gas to be recovered and processed. The problem is that if oil or gas is found, there will never be just one well. And one million gallons of water turns into millions and billions of gallons of water state wide. This poisoned concoction is often times afterward pumped down disposal holes to lay and cook for eternity. This water is taken out of our finite water resources and replaced with natural gas and profits.

Sandoval County has spent millions on its Brackish Water Desalination Treatment Facility Experiment. And at one time the City of Rio Rancho emphatically expressed their need for that water and their willingness to buy that water. Rio Rancho does not have enough water and yet they seem willing to trade clean, drinkable, quality water for Oil and Gas dollars. What kind of Vision are we talking about? The only reason to allow this well is the hope for a successful well. One Successful well will absolutely lead to more. And a successful well not only has the potential to pollute our drinking water, but it will displace our drinking water with natural gas and money that probably won’t even stay in New Mexico. Our future is with water.

I haven’t even discussed the real and possible negative scenarios associated with fracking. Or the relevant discrepancies in the SandRidge presentation and paperwork, nor the Arbitrary and Capricious manor that individuals in the City and County have allowed this Application to proceed. This discussion is about the water and our dependence on it is paramount.

This fracking reality affects us all forever, and everyone in Sandoval County should weigh in, especially at the next Sandoval County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Jan. 28, 2016. A moratorium is needed and an Oil and Gas Ordinance should be adopted.