Dry wells blamed on Coalbed Methane | Billings Gazette

[Ediacara]

Dry wells blamed on CBM

By MIKE STARK
Of The Gazette Staff

Last spring, the water at Richard and Allison Cole's house near Sheridan, Wyo., began to change colors.

On April 10, their well sputtered and went dry. The same happened to a neighbor in July and another neighbor in September.

Soon, well water for four more properties in the area could also dry up.

Lowering the water

Coalbed methane development northeast of Sheridan has lowered the water in the coal seams that feeds the wells in the Beatty Spur area.

The loss of well water, along with the noise of compressors and other activity, has cast a sour note on the rural neighborhood near the Montana border where coalbed methane has become a constant presence in recent years.

More at the Billings Gazette

[Pegleg Thd]

1. I have a cousin living on a ranch

near Sheridan. Haven't heard anything from her about this yet.

[Ediacara]

2. The coalbed methane thing

is a slow grumble in Montana and Wyoming. The CBM industry claims there are no environmental problems with CBM and well, they have mineral rights anyway and can just set up shop on your land whether you like it or not.

A lot of people don't like the idea of CBM, but there isn't a huge opposition to it because there is very little in the way of science concerning CBM, and anything against CBM is shouted down by the pro-CBM people as nonsense. Hopefully news like this will at least get people mad enough to demand some answers.

[NickB79]

3. Wow, the Republican base is getting pissed off left and right

First the hunters and fishermen were getting pissed at Bush for his piss-poor environmental policies that threaten to deforest our hunting land and pollute our rivers and lakes, the anti-immigration Republicans are pissed about his new immigration policies, and now his push for further mineral exploration throughout the West is pissing off the ranchers. It looks like the man is digging his own grave.