Plugging orphaned oil

Wells

County, Hickenlooper discuss sealing abandoned drilling sites

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Beyond the rusting rigs and the pumps and tanks littered around the site, an abandoned oil well is pretty much indistinguishable from a working site.

It’s what exists under that equipment that has county o cials concerned.

“Every oil eld looks di erent,” Adams County Commissioner Lynn Baca said May 25 standing at an orphaned well site about 11 miles due east from Brighton’s Barr Lake. “ is particular one has some outbuildings and it can have lines in the ground. So mitigating that, cleaning it up, we estimate it will take about $150,000 per well to do that. So with 304 abandoned wells in Adams County, we can’t do that. It’s not fair to make the taxpayers carry that burden.”

Adams County hosted a tour on May 25 of the well site in an unincorporated part of the county. Called the Greenmeier #9-30 site, it features a rusting wellhead and pump jack connected to nearby production equipment and four tanks via a series of underground pipes and owlines.

U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, an advocate of capping and clearing those abandoned sites, was the guest of honor as county o cials joined with industry experts to demonstrate the steps they must

SEE OIL WELLS, P5

THUNDER-HAWKS MARCH

Prairie View celebrates the Class of 2023 P4

Water park opening delayed e pool was scheduled to open during Memorial Day weekend, but the city found that three of the four boilers that heat the water for the facility’s pools did not survive the winter season and now must to be replaced. Delivery and installation of the new equipment will delay the opening of Paradice Island until about mid-July. e city will provide additional information as this work is completed and a new opening date is identi ed. e splash pad located at Pioneer Park to the west of Paradice Island will open May 27 as planned and operate from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily.

A hard winter was especially hard on Commerce City’s Paradice Island Pool at Pioneer Park, according to a city statement.

City sta will be reaching out to o er refunds to those who had paid reservations or cabana rentals for Paradice Island through July 10. For questions or concerns speci c to rentals or refunds, please call 303-2866837.

I Voted Sticker Design Contest Winners

Announced e Adams County Elections e four winners are Century Middle School student Macy Gauna, Westminster resident Xalen Wigham, Brighton resident Marta Kwiat and STEM Launch student Diana Diaz Terrasaz.

Four student designs for “I Voted” stickers were selected in contest and will be distributed in mail in ballots the next four elections.

Department received 36 entries for the contest from both students and residents. e winning designs will be used throughout the 2023 Coordinated, 2024 Presidential Primary, 2024 Primary, and 2024 General Elections.

A fth sticker was chosen as a sta pick and will be printed as a special edition, available only at Adams County Pride on June 10, and at the Elections team booth. e winning designs can be viewed at adamsvotes.com.

Adams County voters will receive both an “I Voted” sticker and “Yo voté” sticker in their ballot packet. Residents who want to collect every sticker design can visit any Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC) open during the 2023 and 2024 elections. VSPC locations will be available at adamsvotes.com/vspcs.

Dudes & Brews seeks to boost male court volunteers e session will be led male sta members and volunteers explain the CASA advocate role and learn how you can be a part of the change.

CASA of Adams & Broom eld Counties, the Court Appointed Special Advocates for the 17th Judicial District of Colorado will host a Volunteer Info Hour at 5:30 p.m. June 8 at Mother Tucker Brewery in ornton, 2360 E. 120th Ave.

CASA recruits, trains and supervises community volunteers, called Court Appointed Special Advocates, to represent and advocate for child victims of abuse and neglect in the courts. e info hour is aimed to recruit men since fewer than 15 % of the group’s current volunteers are men.

For more information, visit CASA online at https://casa17th.org/ or call at (720) 523.2855. To RSVP to the event, email paige@casa17th.com with the subject line “I Want to Attend Dudes & Brews”.

Adams County o ers veterans memorial sign program

Adams County Public Works Department has started a Veterans Memorial Sign Program intended to allow Adams County residents with family or friends of military veterans killed in the line of duty to dedicate a street in Adams County in their loved one’s memory.

Nominated veterans will be commemorated through the installation of special memorial signs bearing their name, rank, branch of service emblem, associated military action or war, status, and year of death. Memorial signs will be placed above existing street name signs. Speci c location requests may be made in the application and will be considered by Adams County sta in collaboration with the Adams County Veterans Advisory Commission.

“ e Veterans Memorial Sign Program o ers an opportunity for residents to unite in gratitude and remembrance while fostering a sense of community pride,” said Steve O’Dorisio, Board of County Commissioners Chair. “It also serves as a powerful reminder to future generations of the sacri ces made by those who fought for our freedom.”

Family and friends of seven veterans who served on the USS Colorado were honored with a memorial sign during the grand opening of the new Adams County Veterans Memorial on May 29.

Residents are encouraged to submit applications for veterans they wish to memorialize through the program. Learn more and apply at adcogov.org/ tra c-safety.

Anythink mySummer returns seek feedback from their peers and communities. e Colorado Legislature created the youth advisory council in 2008 to give Colorado’s youth ages 14-19 a voice in lawmaking. Youth council members work each summer to propose policy ideas to a committee of legislators. Each summer, students present policy proposals to legislators. During the last two years, several policies the youth council identi ed became law, including increased crisis services, higher education programs for fostered youth, educational standards and e orts to prevent eating disorders.

Anythink’s annual mySummer initiative returns with programs inspired by the theme of “Let’s Play.” is year’s summer experience includes opportunities for local residents to learn in fun, new ways, nd joy through games and embrace carefree moments.

Anythink has partnered with Colorado artist Jessica Moon BernsteinSchiano to o er art workshops for children at Anythink Commerce City and adults at Anythink Huron Street. In addition, community members can expect visits with live goats, children’s improv workshops with 5280 eater Company, gaming sessions with Denver Extreme Game Truck and interactive performances by the Colorado Symphony.

Bernstein-Schiano also crafted “Animal Lore,” a card deck exclusively available when participants register for mySummer at their local Anythink. Limited edition poster prints of the “Animal Lore” illustrations will be available for purchase at the Anythink Backyard Concert Series. Funds raised will support the Anythink Foundation.

Community members are encouraged to sign up online and visit their local Anythink to kick o mySummer 2023.

Applications are due June 19. State organizers plan to host an informational session for applicants at 6 p.m. June 14. Find info at www.coyac.org/ apply.

CCPD Introduces Online Crime Reporting

Form e Commerce City Police Department has a new online reporting tool allowing the public to report some non-emergency crimes and receive a police report immediately without having to speak to a police o cer. e new form is online now in English and Spanish at c3gov.com/ReportACrime. Residents should always call 911 for emergencies.

Community members can now conveniently report incidents that do not require immediate o cer intervention, such as fraud, identity theft, lost property, theft/shoplifting (less than $2,000), and vandalism.

Block Party trailers return e Block Party Trailer is intended to build and strengthen neighborhoods in Adams County. e program is administered by the Neighborhood Services division in the Community Safety and Well-Being Department on a rst come, rst served basis. For more information, go to https:// adcogov.org/block-party, call 720 5236465 or email blockparty@adcogov. org

Unincorporated Adams County residents can apply and reserve a complimentary Block Party trailer for their next event.

More online reporting

Ground-level ozone is invisible and the Front Range’s biggest air quality issue. Created from pollutants like car exhaust, ozone is a leading cause of respiratory problems. Improving our air quality takes all of us, and there are many ways to help. We encourage you to #JustSkipTwo car trips a week, mow your lawn after 5 p.m., don’t idle your car, telework a few days each week, and take the bus, bike, or walk.

Sign up for air quality alerts and learn more about the simple steps you can do to help.

SimpleStepsBetterAir.org

State youth council needs members e Colorado legislature’s nonpartisan Colorado Youth Advisory Council has openings for new members across the state for the 2023-25 term. e Youth Advisory Council is a statewide organization dedicated to youth-led civic service learning. Youth members lead policy committees that analyze issues and policies that impact youth across Colorado. Policy work can include making recommendations about current policies or advocating for new ones. Council members conduct research, write problem/solution statements, meet with subject matter experts, build relationships with legislators, and e city is introducing two new online systems in the coming weeks to streamline numerous processes through the city website. Starting May 8, all Commerce City licensing, permitting, and development processes can be submitted in one easy location. eTRAKiT is the city’s new online permitting system, which o ers an easy, convenient way to apply for many di erent types of city permits, business licenses, and much more. You can submit applications for development projects, add contractors to your project, pay fees, download permits, schedule inspections, see inspection results, and much more without leaving your home or o ce.

Our new Citizen Request Management system “Access C3” will update your user experience to help you submit and track your concerns through our website and/or our brand new Access C3 mobile app. Using AccessC3, you can report concerns, ask questions, track updates on your reports, and see similar reports made in the city via enhanced software. For questions, residents should contact the department or division they are working with.