Natural gas storage tanks have been found to offgas great quantities of volatile organic compounds.

Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest, CO

One section of a 40 mile underground gas pipeline that was cut through a national forest roadless area in Wester Colorado.

Reno Mountain Roadless Area
White River National Forest, CO
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These trailers are filled with water and chemicals used in "Fracking" or Hydraulic Fracturing. Fracking is a technique used in drilling for natural gas that is bound up in rock or coal, which involves injecting a mix of water and chemicals into the ground at very high pressure to break the rock and release the gas. Fracking is widely used across the U.S., but has been little regulated. Recent studies show evidence of groundwater contamination apparently resulting from the process. Fracking often uses such chemicals as kerosene, benzene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde.

Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest, CO

Entrance to a National Forest energy lease.

Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest, CO

Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest, CO

White River National Forest, CO

Eroded stream running through a pipeline clearing.

White River National Forest, CO

Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest, CO

Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest, CO

The pads for most of these vents are small - usually one acre, but their location is dictated by the mine not the surface topography. Frequently this means that the pads must be carved out of a hillside such as this one.

Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest, CO