Staff Reports
WALSENBURG— With approval from the state’s Division of Water Resources on Tuesday, July 13, Petroglyph Operating Company, Inc. is set to begin re-injecting up to 42,000 gallons of water per day into the Poison Canyon Formation to recharge the aquifers there.
The water will be pumped from the Vermejo formation and combined with water being recovered from the Poison Canyon Formation and treated through a reverse osmosis process that will bring the water into conformity with the permit Petroglyph recently received from the EPA. It will then be injected into the eight recovery wells located in the River Ridge Ranch subdivision.
In a letter sent to residents of River Ridge and the Board of County Commissioners, Petroglyph states it expects to receive the remaining state approvals this month necessary to proceed with Phase Two. When it receives the approvals it will immediately begin operation of the recovery and injection system.
The Board of County Commissioners met the Community Energy Coordinator, Larry Blessman. Blessman’s office will be located in the COG offices in Trinidad. He will be putting together information and grants that are designed to bring about a more efficient use of energy resources in both Huerfano and Las Animas Counties.
He will be promoting actions already in effect such as the current weather proofing of buildings and residences. He will also be establishing training for renewable energy jobs that will be generated as Huerfano County moves toward wind farms and solar energy power generation.
County Commission Chair Art Bobian is the chair for the bi-county steering committee. The Community Energy Committee will coordinate with Blessman in developing programs for energy use.
The county will be shutting down the gravel pit operating near Gardner. They have mined the maximum amount of gravel they can by law. Another pit, the Rebur, will be opened west of I-25. The county is still waiting on state approval to open a pit in east Huerfano County. The approval for that pit is still six months away. The county has 663 total miles of road to gravel.
