<\/p>\n
IGNACIO \u2013 Daryl Adams takes a box of matches, walks over to the faucet in his Ignacio home and puts the flame to the stream of tap water, not knowing if, at any moment, the water will catch fire.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t catch, which is only a momentary relief. The reason why he\u2019s even taking a flame to his tap water for the morbid experiment has Adams concerned about his safety and health.<\/p>\n
Over the summer, testing on Adams\u2019 well water found that levels of methane drastically spiked, so much so that he was warned the methane could escape from the water and be potentially explosive in certain areas of his home.<\/p>\n
Adams, whose house on County Road 314 is surrounded by at least eight wells within a 300-foot radius, has strong suspicions that oil and gas drilling has contaminated his groundwater.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve lived here 33 years, and I\u2019ve never griped too much about the oil wells,\u201d Adams said. \u201cBut this is very concerning. They told me it\u2019s at explosive levels and you should consider getting out.\u201d<\/p>\n
BP American Production Co., which has several gas wells in the vicinity, said a third-party analysis of the sampling found that the gas in Adams\u2019 water is not associated with the company\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n
BP\u2019s third-party consultant said, \u201cThe cause for this increase is unknown but may be linked to changes in the property of regional and local groundwater circulation.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to BP\u2019s spokesman Brett Clanton, BP first started collecting water samples from Adams\u2019 water well in response to the drilling of a nearby oil and gas well.<\/p>\n
The company took both pre- and post-drilling sampling: one in 2004 before the well was drilled and another in 2005 after it was completed. Subsequent samples were taken on four other occasions in 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2014.<\/p>\n
Over the past 13 years, methane has always appeared in Adams\u2019 water at varied levels of about 2 milligrams per liter to 15 mg\/L, according to a report from BP\u2019s third-party consultant obtained by The Durango Herald.<\/p>\n
On June 8, another sample was taken from Adams\u2019 well before proposed work to a production well in the area. That testing showed methane levels jumped to 25 mg\/L, nearly double the prior highest concentration.<\/p>\n
Anthony Gorody, with BP\u2019s third-party consultant Universal Geoscience Consulting Inc., on July 18 wrote to BP that \u201cthis change warrants the attention of the (Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.)\u201d<\/p>\n
However, BP\u2019s consultant determined that there wasn\u2019t any link between the gas composition found in BP\u2019s wells and that found in Adams\u2019 well water, leaving Adams with few options.<\/p>\n
COGCC can require an oil and gas operator to mitigate issues that arise as a result of drilling, but only if a direct connection can be drawn. In Adams\u2019 case, the COGCC is relying on BP\u2019s third-party conclusions.<\/p>\n
Todd Hartman, spokesman for COGCC, said the agency conducted an engineering review of production wells in the vicinity of Adams\u2019 domestic water well and found three wells that warrant further investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working with operators on this and will continue our in-house review,\u201d Hartman said.<\/p>\n
La Plata County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt said she requested the COGCC expedite the remediation of Adams\u2019 well.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis situation is urgent as he has explosive levels of methane in his well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Across La Plata County, residents regularly deal with methane in their well water.<\/p>\n
Butch Knowlton, director of the county\u2019s Office of Emergency Management, said different parts of the county have much higher levels of methane than others. Although the issue isn\u2019t new, it is a cause for concern when levels sporadically jump.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s difficult to say this is a problem and this is why it\u2019s happening,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Indeed, it is difficult to determine conclusively what causes spikes in gas. And even when levels of methane do increase, it\u2019s not always linked to oil and gas activities.<\/p>\n
In many cases, methane can be trapped deep in underground formations and released through drilling or tapping into underground workings.<\/p>\n
Methane is relatively easy to treat, said Chris Eckhardt, owner of Animas Well Drilling and H20 The Water Store. Eckhardt said he regularly installs methane mitigation systems for homeowners, however the cost can run anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is something that can be taken care of,\u201d he said. \u201cBut not everyone has that money lying around.\u201d<\/p>\n