To: Aaron Ritcher, Environmental Assessment Preparer
Tell Bureau of Land Management: Deny CO2 Extraction on Federal Land in Huerfano County
Carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas pollutant, is pumped from beneath the Sheep Mountains where it has safely existed for 25 million years. The gas goes by pipeline to Texas and New Mexico to be used for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR).
Why is this important?
CO2 EOR is a tertiary method of oil recovery. The secondary method is forcing oil upward by water flooding. After EOR, oil companies attempt to retain the CO2 beneath the earth in a process called Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The current trend is to gain Federal tax credits for CCS, and in some cases, plan to trade carbon storage credits for cash. CCS is a complex and difficult process due to the corrosive effects of CO2 on cement casings, metal valves, and pipes. Tell the BLM to leave the CO2 in the earth where it has safely existed for 25 million years, instead of using it to produce even more oil, which in turn creates even more CO2 greenhouse gas when the oil is used. Thank you for aiding Green Rockies Emerging Ecology Network (GREEN) in our efforts to protect the environment.