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Tim Waters will help Longmont deal with concerns of the oil industry
Others have discussed the education, experience, and leadership of Tim Waters for Ward 1 City Councilman. Tim is very well qualified for the position. He knows how to talk with opposing forces in a respectful manner, and that is the way to get things done. I want to discuss how he will work with the other members of the City Council to help protect Longmont from the oil industry.
Oil and gas drilling, and especially fracking, have the potential to cause many problems including fires, explosions, and unknown leaks. These leaks cause pollution and degrade the quality of water, air, and/or soil. In addition, the oil industry consumes large amounts of water, a resource that we can ill afford to lose. State oil and gas regulations should prevent fires, explosions and unknown leaks, but it is clear that they often do not. Both the Firestone explosion and the recent Oklahoma explosion are examples of the harm and loss of life that can occur when mistakes are made, and they are made often. I believe that one of the best ways to guard against the damage of these mistakes is to place wells and horizontal pipes as far as possible from residences, schools, and businesses. Thus I believe that we should have no drilling or horizontal flow lines within the city of Longmont. Tim Waters is very much aware of these problems and will work to keep the oil and gas industry out of Longmont. One problem that he will work on is an active horizontal flow line that exists in east Longmont.
A longer-term problem is the fact that municipalities in Colorado do not at present have control over their own health and safety. Having a City Council that will continue to work to solve this problem is vital to the future of Longmont as a thriving city.
Michael Holdaway, PhD
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