Jerry

[John]

I was reading USA Today online last night, and read a story about your hometown, and the drilling for natural gas on the Roan Plateau. Seems like it really getting some folks in Rifle all fired up.
Small town makes national news.

[Jerry]

Don't get me started.....

I 4-wheel on the Plateau, not really the place for my XJ but is one of the reasons I'm starting to look for a dual-purpose bike like the Yamaha TK225 or an ATV like a yamaha Big Bear. There are many good fishing spots plus deer and elk hunting, and if you are into snowmobiling, lots of good routes for winter fun.

Rifle has gone through this before....it was slated to be the center of oil shale extraction in the '80s, never worked out. One experiment they tried...a nuclear device was detonated several thousand feet below the surface, idea was to fracture the rock so natural gas could escape easier, making collection more efficient. It didn't work, but the level of radioactivity in nearby Rulison is significantly higher than the surrounding area, and families with kids don't want to buy property there. I am very skeptical of oil industry claims to 'clean' drilling and extraction technology. Last week one of the Encana drilling rigs caught fire, no injuries but the smoke was visable for miles.

[John]

Didja ever wonder if Bush has any wells on his ranch here in Texas? I'll bet he doesn't. Too messy. It's one of 'We gotta have it" things, but not in his back yard. Sounds like the 'publicans (oil companies) really made a mess of a beautiful area. Figgers.

Come November...ABB!!