Impacted Residents Petition – Continuous Air Quality Monitoring | Open Letter to the Erie Board of Trustees

May 10, 2021
Erie Board of Trustees
645 Holbrook Street
Erie, Colorado 80516
Re: Air Quality Monitoring 

Dear Erie Board of Trustees, 

As residents of Erie, Colorado, we are deeply concerned over the toxic stew of air pollutants released from oil & gas operations into our communities every day. Exposure to volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) such as benzene and ethylbenzene are linked to increased risk for asthma, low birth weight, cancer, cardiac problems, and other respiratory issues1. Residents near oil & gas operations suffer headaches, dizziness, and nose bleeds in addition to the nuisances of noise, odor, and traffic. Current air quality standards set forth by the CDPHE are insufficient to protect our health, safety, and welfare. We need industry-standard, robust, and permanent air quality monitoring in Erie to properly correlate these air quality issues with the symptoms experienced by Erie residents near fracking operations. 

Given the proliferation of oil & gas operations within and along its borders, the Town of Erie must be protective of its residents to understand and act on the negative impacts of oil & gas on our air quality. We demand the Town engage with Boulder A.I.R to install long-term permanent air quality monitoring stations in Erie, as well as Ajax Analytics to provide short-term/immediate response air quality monitoring. This blended approach will be a crucial first step along the way to protecting Erie residents from the negative impacts of unconventional oil & gas exploration. 

Sincerely, 

Erie Impacted Residents 

<<residents>> 

_____________________________ 

1 https://www.psr.org/blog/7th-edition-of-fracking-compendium-highlights-oil-and-gas-risks-harms/

Jennifer Crossland, Erie resident 

“It’s in my backyard. One full year of noise lights and smells. Sick animals… I am under 800ft from 4 large fracking sites!!!!! With crazy vents!!! This is not good and safe for our community. It’s a shame.” 

Eric Duggan, Erie resident 

“My wife and I have felt the effects of fracking in headaches, sleepless nights from noise and coughing. We have been confined to our homes, hesitant to walk outside or open our windows. We have spent hundreds on air purifiers to manage the danger of VOCs posed to everyone but especially pregnant women. Fracking near our home has changed a dream first home purchase into a nightmare. Fracking and housing should not be near each other, but at the very least we must have air quality monitoring so that we can become aware of any leaks or immediate danger posed to all of the young families in Erie.” 

Kristen Rilling, Erie resident 

“My home is almost 1 mile from the major papa Joe and yellow hammer sites and I am still feeling the impact of the operations with noise, odor, and vibrations. I have three young children and I am horrified that oil and gas activity is allowed so close to residential area. As a medical professional capable of reading and understanding medical literature, there is no doubt in my mind that living this close is a health hazard to my children and my husband and I. I’m embarrassed we live here.” 

Kelsey Barnholt, Erie resident 

“Vibrations from the sites near my home keep us up at night. We are scared of the impact of BTEX chemicals on myself and my growing children. It’s a mystery as to what levels of VOCs we are being exposed to. I have spent $1300 on air purifiers, and it’s not enough for my whole house. I’m worried my house will decrease in value because of the heavy industrial site just 1/2 mile away. We desperately need adequate air quality monitoring.” 

Kristina Frost, Erie resident 

“The ongoing noise pollution is unacceptable, and as someone who already has high cancer risk and a prior history of chemical reaction to pollutants allowing fracking operations so close to our homes like this shows a callous disregard for Erie citizens and prioritizes oil profits over human quality of life.” 

Jacquelyn Thomas, Erie resident 

“Unfortunately myself and our children have experienced severe chronic headaches, bloody noses and an increase in asthma symptoms when we go on walks, ride bikes and play around the neighborhood. I would love to be able to enjoy the wonderful community we have here in Colliers Hill without the negative health challenges.” 

Danielle do Olival, Erie resident 

“We’ve been having headaches constantly… among other things.” 

Angela Kearney, Erie resident 

“I hear the noise and humming every night. It keeps me up. I’m also very concerned about the air quality. This should never have been allowed so close to a residential area.” 

Lainey Bartley, Erie resident 

“My son has been suffering from asthma as well as nose bleeds and his pediatrician believes it’s due to the fracking.” 

Kim Wroblewski, Erie resident 

“Fracking-related noise has led to many sleepless nights, and I continue to be concerned for my family’s health and wellbeing with the wells being so close to our neighborhood.” 

Lara Roehrig, Erie resident 

“We have three young children and are concerned about the air quality for them. When we bought in Colliers Hill almost two years ago, we knew there would be fracking, but didn’t know or imagine how much there would be. It makes me sad to see it right next to homes.” 

Leslie Dickinson, Erie resident 

“The noise has been going on since March and wakes me up most nights. Sometimes it vibrates our windows. This is coming from the wells across the road (CR 10) from Colliers Hill. I’m on the other side of Horizon Blvd and it’s LOUD. Please make it STOP!!! I AM BEGGING YOU!!! I just want to sleep through the night. This should not be happening next to a developing/established community. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??? As for the air quality, I cannot run near CR10 if there is a breeze from the Northeast. It smells like chemicals and natural gas. Some days I can even smell it from our house. My son and I have asthma. WHAT ARE GOING TO BE THE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR HEALTH IF THIS CONTINUES???” 

Beth Ewaskowitz, Erie resident 

“Air quality is not a ‘once in a while’ thing that should be measured – there needs to be constant monitoring to protect the safety and health of our residents. This needs to happen and with the full weight of our leadership behind it so our residents know that their health, well-being, safety, and property values are valued above any monetary gains that may be had by this industrial activity.” 

Melissa Larson, Erie resident 

“We are newer residents to Erie, and have been quite shocked by the air quality here, and the level of fracking going on in the area. If Erie is going to allow fracking, they need to also monitor the air for the people that live here.” 

Valentine Matrat, Erie resident 

“I have 2 young children, 19 months and 1 months old. I had not had to use any asthma medicine since I was 14 years old. Then we moved to Colliers from California and my PCP had to prescribe Albuterol after a few episodes where I was back to wheezing. I am worried for my children’s health. They deserve to grow up breathing nice crisp clean mountain air.” 

Amy Weber, Erie resident 

“Monitoring the air of Erie is literally about the most basic thing we can do here. I spent months sending noise complaints to the oil and gas commission when we had fracking happening right outside our neighborhood. Unfortunately, every single neighborhood in Erie seems to have experienced this, and nothing can ever be done. The oil and gas companies have long been the priority to Erie, it is past time the town acts on behalf of its citizens, even in this most basic way. Something can be done. We at least need to know what is in our air.” 

John Shea, Erie resident 

“Our lives have been turned upside down by this heavy industry in our neighborhood.” 

Meredith Shefferman, Erie resident 

“We’re deeply concerned about the poor air quality in Erie. Please protect your constituents by installing constant air monitoring so that we can hold Oil & Gas accountable.” 

Jaime Brewer, Erie resident 

“I have a newborn and a two year old and am very concerned about their health since we live so close to the fracking sites. My 2 year old has already had nose bleeds and my headaches have increased with the fracking.” 

Elisabeth Fisher, Erie resident 

“I fully support continuous community air monitoring and consider it to be a wise and prudent investment to promote public health, safety and welfare, now and in the future.” 

James Briars, Erie resident 

“Air quality monitoring is vitally important for Erie residents. Please vote to approve and implement it.” 

Anne Hamilton, Erie resident 

“We’ve lived in Erie for 20 years and have noticed air quality has deteriorated tremendously in the past 4 years. I myself, my grandson, and my daughter have severe asthma and have had to increase medications including steroids to be able to even function. It is the town’s responsibility, especially with the passing of this b181, that Erie take care of its community, not just in beauty or looks or roads or building so many houses that nobody can move around anymore, but in being able to be outdoors and breathe clean air rather than being in the house with all the windows closed. With all of the uploading of all of these Wells the smell, the taste, and the lack of being able to see our mountains is from all of this fracking going on. It seems like the town of Erie is more interested in getting money from all these oil companies than giving us, who by the way pay the taxes to build the roads, a healthy place to live! Give us an air quality monitor so that it can be told how dangerous our air is so that something can be done about it, not just ignore it!! “We have a beautiful view of the mountains but we cannot see them as much as we used to because of the pollution. We also have to keep our windows closed because of the smell with all of the uploading and drilling that’s going on in Erie. It’s just wrong, and money cannot be the determining Factor when People’s Health is at risk!!!” 

Katie Winterringer, Erie resident 

“The air quality has caused additional health issues for my husband.” 

Jesse Winterringer, Erie resident 

“The air quality has greatly affected my health these last few month with many drs visits and trips to the allergist etc.” 

Summer Welty, Erie resident 

“Headaches, nose bleeds, sleepless nights, chemical smells.” 

Steven Shapiro, Erie resident 

“Noise, gas smells, ground shaking. Please get the air quality monitor.” 

Diana Shapiro, Erie resident 

“Sinus Headaches since new fracking started North of Colliers Hill this winter. Very noisy at night. We really want the air quality monitored. Thank you.” 

Annette Lombardo, Erie resident 

“Since the wells started up I have been having great difficulty managing my asthma which has not given me any trouble in years.” 

Leigha Burns, Erie resident 

“Concerned with the air quality that will result from the fracking going on by Collier Hills neighborhood and my immune compromised child. Would like my kiddo to be able to play outside safely.” 

Sharon Schuessler, Erie resident 

“Our dreams of a new life with our family here have been compromised. We are scared for our health.” 

Kirsten Eades, Erie resident 

“I have had headaches since they started and trouble sleeping due to noise and vibration. I would ask the town to implement air quality monitoring to help keep O&G within regulation.” 

Luke Hitpas, Erie resident 

“Saddened for the constant noise and poor air quality so close to homes, parks, and school. This isn’t just one well pad, it’s a major fracking operation that should not have been approved in the first place. Please protect our health.” 

Michael Pesce, Erie resident 

“I smell the gas and hear it everyday.” 

Erika Deakin, Erie resident 

“Boy have I ever! From being kept awake for weeks in Grandview (while pregnant) to being kept awake for MONTHS in Vista Ridge, fracking is the worst thing about Erie. The Waste Connections site (I believe, I don’t think it was Pratt) was so unholy smelly that I was trapped in my house for days on end. Couldn’t sit on my porch, couldn’t run outside. We purchased our own sound monitor to prove from INSIDE OUR HOUSE that WC and Pratt were louder than what is allowed during the day at industrial sites. The industry did not care. I’ve had skin cancer (which may be unrelated) and my youngest daughter has nearly daily nosebleeds while fracking is occurring. Also may be unrelated, I’m not a scientist so I don’t know. ” 

Tasia Foss, Erie resident 

“My whole family has suffered from severe headaches almost daily since moving to Erie. When we took an extended vacation this year to a place with better air quality they completely went away. Please consider enforcing laws that will control air pollution to better the quality of life here.” 

Tim Burns, Erie resident 

“We were affected by the noise over the past couple of weeks but now more worried about the air quality with an immunocompromised toddler. I am providing a statement regarding these concerns during the COGCC Public comment period on Wednesday 5/5.” 

Brandy Monckton, Erie resident 

“Some days my eyes hurt when I’m outside and it feels harder to breathe.” 

Katherine Erstad, Erie resident 

“Lived in Anthem Highlands where they implemented this equipment when massive fracking sites went in there – it’s the least that should be done!” 

Lisa Parmley, Erie resident 

“We are a ways away from it and it is loud. We’re very worried about the air quality. In our last home we were much closer to i25 and we thought we were moving to a better, healthier place, but are concerned w/ so many fracking sites near us that the air quality might be worse here. It’s very reasonable to ask for measuring like this. There are even schools nearby; that this is so difficult to get is really quite disturbing.” 

Ina Felsch, Erie resident 

“Collier’s Hill is beautiful! I really don’t want it ruined by bad air quality. I like using all the trails and with the O&G happening, I fear for my health. Would be nice with some air quality measuring.” 

Lyndsey Kujawa, Erie resident 

“As soon as we purchased our home we learned about the fracking and now we are moving. It’s awful and I hope something will be done for future generations, because it can be done – it’s a matter of those in power deeming it “necessary”.” 

Carissa Carroll, Erie resident 

“It’s getting absolutely ridiculous, drive around and ALL you see is fracking! Erie residents didn’t pay big $$ for this!” 

Heather Shea, Erie resident 

“I now have asthma from living next to multiple new wells.” 

Brad & Cindy Taylor, Erie residents 

“We feel like we live in the middle of Commerce City. One site is bad enough, but the sheer number of sites is shocking – with relentless noise and toxic releases at all hours – monitoring is critical and must be ongoing. Monitoring after complaints are registered about a release is worthless and dangerous. We moved here six years ago, Brad was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer four years ago.” 

Indumathi Chandrasekharan, Erie resident 

“Definitely noise pollution it is very loud on certain days and headaches most of the days.” 

Candace Larsen, Erie resident 

“Two fracking wells near our home in the past ten years or so. Submitted many complaints.” 

Annette Nevitt, Erie resident 

“My and my husbands’ breathing and allergies have gotten worse since moving from Thornton, CO less than a year ago.” 

Jennifer Miller, Erie resident 

“I’m terribly worried about air quality but also the effects on our settling soil. We have areas of our yard that have started to sink after fracking started and we are terrified of their operation compromising our soil stability and thus our foundation. This is a serious problem.” 

Johnny Hennessy, Erie resident 

“We live much further than many of our neighbors in Collier’s Hill. And we can hear them fracking much louder than the cars that drive on Erie parkway at 3am. I can only imagine how much vibration and noise those closer hear and feel.” 

Peter Jaumann, Erie resident 

“Please put an in-depth and meaningful monitoring network in place that can be coupled to meteorological conditions to warn and protect Erie’s citizens proactively from episodes of bad air quality.” 

Holly Bilka, Erie resident 

“Fracking activity near our home has caused us to lose sleep from the noise, and has had immediate negative impacts on our health – eye, nose & throat irritation as well as frequent headaches. Please say YES to good air quality monitoring & to holding the O&G companies accountable for their impacts on Erie residents!” 

Ariel Fox, Erie residen 

“Fracking is bloody hideous looking in my backyard. And I’d like to have the privilege of clean air to breathe. It’s not mid-Ohio-valley bad (ex: DuPont) from my childhood, but in no way do I ever want it to get that bad here in the beautiful town of Erie.” 

Jennifer Mier, Erie resident 

“As an asthmatic, air quality monitoring is imperative to my health and how much time I am able to spend outside. I loved having the NOAA tower so close for so long. It is imperative to have a reliable way to measure the air quality now that the tower is gone, especially since Erie appears 

to be ground zero for fracking. The monitoring holds the industry accountable for their own emissions, which really should be recaptured anyway.” 

David Mier, Erie resident 

“This is desperately needed with all of the fracking being done in Erie.” 

Jeffrey Hartzell, Erie resident 

“First its just the drilling and fracking and then it’s the permanent install north of colliers hill. All of that was pushed through before set back regulations tightened. Now there’s dozens of wells within 2000 feet from our home where we don’t know how it’s affecting our children. The walking paths are great at Colliers Hill be we only use half of them now because of the odors and aesthetics just north of the community. All to line the pockets of a dying industry in lieu of supporting other forms of energy that are less deliterious and more sustainable for us all.” 

Brett O’Sullivan, Erie resident 

“Pollution from oil wells is horrible!” 

Ashley Pontiff, Erie resident 

“With a large dump in the middle of our town, along with many drilling sites, air quality monitoring should be a no brainer.” 

Lisa Flanigan, Erie resident 

“The noise in Collier’s Hill is not acceptable let alone the air quality.” 

Chris Burks, Erie resident 

“This is not adversely affecting us (yet) but you have to feel for the neighbors who are having a hard time with all this disruptive activity so close to their homes. Anything we can do to help keep air quality as high as possible is a win.” 

Russ Crossland, Erie resident 

“Yes we live right across the street from the fracking site in colliers hill.” 

Ashley Smith, Erie resident 

“I don’t know that I have been negatively impacted by the fracking or air quality. But I would like more monitoring.” 

Nathalie Tuhari-Katz, Erie resident 

“The nightly vibration of my house is unreal.” 

Heather Szott, Lafayette/Erie resident 

“My “allergies” (and those of my family) seem to get worse by the year — in the winter. Hmm… how can that be — most plants are dead/dormant during that time, right? After tracking allergens for years, I’ve come to the conclusion that the poor air quality in Erie and our proximity to fracking wells is causing these problems. My husband never had asthma until we moved here and my son’s asthma was under control in Westminster, but not here. Also, our symptoms are much worse during inversions.” 

Alexa Schuessler, Broomfield 

“My parents are Erie residents and I echo the concern shared in the letter above.” 

Kyle Roth, Berthoud 

“I had to uproot my family and move away from Erie, out of fear for my families health and safety. This industry is morally bankrupt and is not compatible in the least with residential development. It’s time to ban fracking.” 

Mary, Boulder 

“We left Erie because of the open ended policy on fracking, lack of willpower to take a firm stance against oil and gas by the Erie board of trustees, and the dismantling of beautiful pristine space and the poor air quality.” 

Lindsey Paquette, Broomfield 

“We moved out of the Anthem neighborhood due to the negative impacts of suburban fracking and the constant threat of additional o&g developments around us, both in Broomfield and Erie. Air quality monitoring is critical because it gives the government the data it can use to make decisions that protect public health.”

S. Fox, Lafayette

“I’ve been living in Lafayette, and just during the first 2 years of living there, experienced such exacerbation of asthma and heart arrhythmia, due to local disastrous air quality, that I had to sell my condo and move out, much further from all the fracking! It had been my first home, and I had to leave that, along with close friends and wonderful neighbors. Air does not recognize town boundaries! Thank you, in advance for at least planning to install constant air quality monitoring in Erie.” 

Joe Szott, Lafayette 

“It’s gotten so much worse the last few years, we need more info on this issue.” 

Jane Clevenger, Loveland 

“I can’t breathe with our air rated F by the Amer Lung Assoc.” 

Tricia Olson, Boulder 

“Gunbarrel is definitely impacted by the poor air quality in Erie!” 

Sophia Dunbar, Longmont 

“What you do or don’t do impacts ALL of us nearby. Please care for this land, water and air!” 

Amanda Janusz, Niwot 

“My air quality in Niwot is significantly affected by Erie’s air quality, as we get back winds from weld county and the toxic air gets trapped in the boulder valley due to inversion and the mountains keeping it trapped. My 6 year old was preasthmatic for years due to the F air quality in boulder county. This affects everyone in this entire area.” 

Nick Duncan, Warrenton 

“I have concerns for very close friends in Erie Colorado.” 

Megan Wilder, Boulder 

“Poor air quality and toxic emissions from the oil & gas industry in Boulder County, Weld County and beyond affect us all. We must monitor, measure and then end this pollution immediately. We’ve waited too long already.” 

Shaina Oliver, Denver 

“Most importantly I am an Indigenous mother of four, we are the descendants of the genocide known as the “Indian Removal Act” known to the Dineh as “The Long Walk of the Navajo”. These types of policy violations have run a long historic impact on Indigenous people, community, health, wealth, and environmental wellbeing. As a tribal affiliate of the Navajo Nation, I have seen the devastation of land degradation and health impacts contributed by Coal, Uranium, Oil, and Gas. Because of these disparities, Indigenous people now have the highest rates in asthma, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, leukemia, adverse birth outcomes, and premature deaths than the general population. I was born premature and low-birth weight, with a birth defect and diagnose with asthma in my infancy. When Indigenous people leave the reservation, we are segregated into communities where housing are a lot closer to polluting industries and waste sites.” 

Cleo Dioletis, Denver 

“The air in Colorado has made breathing hard and affects our health. No more fracking, Please” 

Andrew Griggs, Erie Sandra Duggan, Erie 

Chris Klumph, Erie Geoff Winterbourne, Erie 

Kyle Barnholt, Erie 

Kerri Mirtsching, Erie 

Kelli Shanahan, Erie 

Jenny Kratzke, Erie 

Kelly McPherson, Erie 

Abigail Pillitteri, Erie 

Robert Felsch, Erie 

Robert Thomas, Erie 

Nathalie Katz, Erie 

Karen Hoppis, Erie 

Heather Kimling, Erie 

Julie Pellom, Erie 

Tony Wolf, Erie 

Kathleen Montes de Oca, Erie Scott Reynolds, Erie 

Stephanie Reynolds, Erie Charla Wright, Erie 

Brett Miller, Erie 

Matt Mirtsching, Erie 

Cary Lynch, Erie 

Steve Lewis, Erie 

Jill Albert, Erie 

Heather Davies, Erie 

Josephine Sterr, Erie 

Jesse Sterr, Erie 

Judy Neff, Erie 

Gerard Clayton, Erie 

Laura Hartzell, Erie 

Jeffery P Dunn, Erie 

George Hudetz, Erie 

Jill Goodwin-Helgerson, Erie Nadia Anthony, Erie 

Denise Yuen, Erie 

Kasie Koveleski, Erie 

Leanne Vielehr, Erie 

Katharine Warner, Erie Vanessa Sayers, Erie 

Scott Sayers, Erie 

Francisco Banuelos, Erie Kimberly Thompson, Erie Allie Klinger, Erie 

Amardeep Dhillon, Erie 

Whitney Pecenkovic, Erie Hamza Pecenkovic, Erie Brittany O’Brian, Erie Matt O’brian, Erie 

Christopher Seber, Erie Aaron Maggard, Erie Karen Edwards, Erie Meredith Canode, Erie Bari Gisin, Erie 

Paulette Bradford, Erie Bray Lake, Erie 

Mark Lake, Erie 

Carly Kesterson, Erie Deanna Hydock, Erie Brittney Housley, Erie 

James Faughnan, Erie Melissa Yang, Erie 

Berenice Garcia, Erie Cindy Calder, Erie 

Kristina Weiss, Erie Heather Werner, Erie Brittany Jenkins, Erie Mecca Scott, Erie 

Roseanna Falls, Erie Alicia Graves, Erie 

Sharon Schneider, Erie Holly Wheeler, Erie 

Patricia Gilfillan, Erie Fiona Gilfillan, Erie 

Ben Johns, Erie 

Kelli Bercovitch, Erie David Mason, Erie 

Chris Hatton, Erie 

Harry Schuessler, Erie Lauren Lease, Erie 

Abby Dobmeier, Erie Jennifer Sebastian, Erie Marlena Safarian, Erie Jacob Holland, Erie Chayn Lush, Erie 

Patty Ingalls, Erie 

Janine Haan, Erie 

Emily Wolf, Erie 

Marcella Constantini, Erie Rosa Salazar, Erie 

Jennifer French, Erie Lisabeth Tremblay, Erie Sarah Meyer, Erie 

Corie Littlejohns, Erie Marcia Bruning, Erie Marina Bashneva, Erie Rachel Miller, Erie 

Alicia Scott, Erie 

Tonja Drippz, Erie 

Ryan Garcia, Erie 

Karen Hoppis, Erie 

Erica Mannard, Erie 

Angie Keister, Erie 

Jennifer Fleming, Lafayette Elizabeth Blakley, Lafayette Suzanne Engert, Lafayette Jeff Knorr, Lafayette 

Kate Christensen, Lafayette Cindy Lurie, Lafayette 

Tom Stumpf, Longmont Charlene Wilkinson, Longmont Casey Smith, Longmont Dana Smith, Johnstown Kimberly Wagner, Littleton Marty Bruck, Boulder 

William Van Eimeren, Boulder Rita Kovshun, Aurora