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County officials back drilling plan for western Colorado

The Associated Press

GRAND JUNCTION — County officials are backing Terra Energy Partners’ plan to drill 63 natural gas wells on the slopes of the Roan Plateau, but they sought assurances that the visual impacts of the western Colorado project are minimized.

The Daily Sentinel reports Garfield County commissioners on Monday agreed to support the company’s second phase of development, which calls for drilling the wells over the next two years near Rulison.

Bureau of Land Management spokesman David Boyd says the visual impacts were examined in the lease stipulations, which allow the agency to dictate where the pads are located.

The company is planning to drill the new wells from four pads in the Balzac Gulch area.

County officials say the highest pad will be located about halfway up the plateau.