Groundswell Citizen Response to Colorado Rising's Call To Action On Fracking Near Schools
In November, Colorado Rising sent an action alert email to its supporters explaining our alarming findings about the proximity of Colorado’s schools to active O&G operations and the huge number of spills within a mile of school grounds. Our message encouraged supporters to sign on to our letter to the state’s O&G Regulators (ECMC) and to State Legislators calling for expanded setbacks from schools, plugging low-producing wells near schools, more air-quality monitoring at affected schools, operational restrictions during school hours, and increased inspection frequency.
ECMC and legislators received nearly 100 sign-on email letters from concerned Coloradans. Because of this dramatic response, Colorado Rising gave public comment at the February 11 ECMC meeting.
After the original sign-on letter was read into the record by Steven Arauza (ECMC Environmental Justice Community Liaison) at the ECMC meeting, Colorado Rising’s Executive Director Caitt Maeve gave more context on our original letter with her 3 min statement (see full text below). Next Leslie Robinson from Grand Valley Citizens Alliance gave testimony about the impact of O&G operations on schools in her area. She emphasized Colorado Rising’s data analysis (with partner EcoCarto) that showed an astonishing number of oil and gas wells within a mile of Garfield County schools and the high number of spills near school property. This message is resonating with residents on the Western Slope.
It is important that our message was officially read into the ECMC record. With this action, Colorado Rising has staked our intention to fight for better protections for Colorado’s students and put Oil and Gas on notice that business as usual near schools will not be tolerated. Citizens, once alerted to the deplorable health risks and proximity of O&G near Colorado schools are standing up to fight back!
Here’s what you can do:
- Read the original Call To Action Email
- Read the original Sign-on Letter to ECMC
- Read Colorado Rising Executive Director’s ECMC Testimony below
- Write a Letter to the Editor! (utilize the facts in the Call to Action email and the Sign-On Letter, then follow the “How-To” suggestions in our LTE Toolkit here)
CAITT MAEVE's TESTIMONY
Good morning. My name is Caitt Maeve, and I am the Executive Director of Colorado Rising for Communities. We are a grassroots organization working to protect quality of life, health, and safety from oil and gas operations.
I’m here to provide context for the call-to-action letter titled “Stop Approving Fracking Wells Near Schools” that Steven Arauza will present shortly. As of this past Sunday, this letter has received nearly 100 signatures from concerned community members.
The data we’ve collected is alarming. In Weld County alone, 90% of schools are within a mile of one or more oil and gas wells. The average Weld County school has experienced 4 oil spills within 1 mile of its campus over the past decade. Half of all Weld County schools have 37 or more wells within a mile. These schools are 23 times more likely than other Colorado schools to experience a spill nearby.
Children are especially vulnerable to the health impacts of oil and gas operations. Their developing bodies, faster breathing rates, and time spent outdoors increase their vulnerability to air pollution and toxic exposures. A growing body of peer-reviewed research links proximity to oil and gas operations with elevated cancer risks, respiratory problems, impaired immune function, and neurological impacts—all particularly concerning for developing children.
Let me give you one concrete example. Carbon Valley Academy in Frederick ranks first on our list of most impacted schools. Two-thirds of the producing wells within one mile are classified as “low producing”—prime candidates for plugging and abandonment. While we’ve seen some progress—Kerr McGee has recently plugged some wells near this school—we need operators to finish the job.
And that’s the core issue: operators won’t complete this work voluntarily because it doesn’t serve their bottom line. As a nonprofit and community of impacted residents, we’re documenting these risks because the industry will not. But we can’t do it alone. We need regulatory intervention.
Our letter outlines specific, actionable requests: expanded setbacks, plugging low-producing wells near schools, air-quality monitoring at affected schools, operational restrictions during school hours, and increased inspection frequency. These aren’t radical demands—they’re evidence-based protections for our most vulnerable population.
Children deserve to learn in safe, healthy, pollution-free environments. It is our collective responsibility—and yours as regulators—to prioritize their wellbeing over industry profits. We’re asking for your help to make that happen.
Thank you.
