“Frackers” Near Rep. Polis’ Farm Hit With $26,000 Fine

Smoke from Sundance Energy’s drilling operations. Photo courtesy Rep. Jared Polis.

The Boulder Daily Camera's Charlie Brennan reports, the drilling company that set up operations directly across the street from Rep. Jared Polis' rural Weld County farm faces a (relatively) stiff fine:

State regulators have proposed $26,000 in penalties against the company that launched a drilling and extraction operation directly across the road from a Weld County property owned by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, and used as his weekend getaway.

Additionally, the order Friday from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission states Sundance Energy must meet with the holding company through which Polis owns his Weld County property to discuss its future plans in detail.

"It's an illegal well that's located too close, and a rig that is too high, and it kind of vindicates our initial charge of complete carelessness with regard to following state regs," Polis said Wednesday. "I don't think they should be able to frack the well they drilled there illegally, but at least the $26,000 fine is a start, and I hope the company takes the offset regulations seriously in the future."

Sundance Energy declined to comment Wednesday.

Polis was hounded by conservatives after filing suit against the drillers, then dropping that suit to pursue a claim before the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. A second line of criticism from conservatives and energy industry proponents was opened by noting that Polis has, among his plethora of investments, some money invested in energy companies too.

This recommended $26,000 fine for Sundance Energy drilling too close to Polis' property certainly vindicates him on the first point. As he said all along, the well was not in compliance. This story says a lot about the plight of landowners all over Colorado now threatened by drilling near their homes, as "fracking" pushes drilling into areas that haven't seen it before. The law, which may itself not be adequate to protect the public, doesn't always get followed. Surface landowners suffer losses from drilling near their properties, from peace and privacy to health and safety. Rep. Polis had the resources and wherewithal to fight back, but not everyone confronted by drilling near their home does. And even though the drillers will pay a fine, the well is still drilled. None of this is new, but here is a very good example of what happens.

As for the second point, about Polis having energy investments? Note: he doesn't invest in Sundance Energy.

But even if he did, is there anybody out there who wants companies they invest in to be breaking the law?

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Rep. Polis: Attorney General Eric Holder Should Resign

Rep. Jared Polis.

As the Fort Collins Coloradoan's Patrick Malone reports:

Domestic spying practices top the list of reasons that Fort Collins’ representative in Congress says U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder should go.

“I would be very happy to see him leave,” U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., told the Fort Collins Coloradoan on Wednesday.

The federal government’s wiretapping of some members of the press and the National Security Agency’s surveillance of citizens’ phone and Internet records are foremost among the reasons Polis contends Holder should step down or be removed as the nation’s top law enforcer…

But Polis’ gripes with Holder don’t end with domestic spying.

“I’m no fan of Eric Holder for a number of reasons,” Polis said.

He contends that Holder has ignored abuse of prosecutorial discretion within the U.S. Department of Justice and has complicated Colorado’s course moving forward with voter-approved legalization of recreational marijuana by staying mum.

Rep. Jared Polis becomes the second Colorado Democrat in Congress after Sen. Mark Udall to break with the Obama administration on the matter of National Security Agency surveillance programs–which have been ramping up and operating at least since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but not curtailed by Obama as he promised when campaigning for President in 2008. Polis' call for the resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder goes a step further than Sen. Udall, who is only calling (publicly, anyway) for greater transparency.

Polis has been a longtime advocate for marijuana decriminalization at the federal level–or failing that, at least respect at the federal level for Colorado law, which legalized the drug for medical and more recently for general use. Marijuana proponents in Colorado generally look to Polis as a liason with the Obama administration on the issue, so it will be interesting to see what develops from his new harder line.

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