Public Comments on Civitas’ State Sunlight Long Application Due to Arapahoe County on April 4
On Friday, March 21, Arapahoe County confirmed that Civitas’s application for the State Sunlight Long oil and gas facility has been deemed complete. This is the BIGGEST and MOST CONCERNING site proposed in the Lowry Ranch CAP. There has been tremendous public pressure to stop the development of this well pad due to its size, impact, and proximity to homes, schools, and drinking water. And yet the County has decided to take public comment via web rather than in person, with a deadline of Friday, April 4.
The facts below are provided as a guide to help you as you write your public comment. STAR encourages you to customize your public comment submission with personal stories and concerns.
FAST FACTS ABOUT STATE SUNLIGHT-LONG:
- 32 fracking wells on a 35-acre site, making it one of the largest fracking well pads in Colorado.
- 3,000 ft to the nearest homes — a distance that, as new Colorado-based research shows, increases the risk of childhood cancer.
- 3,300 ft from the Aurora Reservoir — less than the 1 mile setback we fought to get written into the revised and updated County regulations.
- 17,000 vehicle trips producing high emissions on a service road located 500 ft from the reservoir and less than 2,500 ft from homes before production even begins.
WILDFIRE & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
- The standard distance for evacuation from a chemical or industrial fire is up to one mile. There are dozens of residential homes within one mile of the proposed State Sunlight-Long well pad.
- The fire department listed as responsible for emergency services is at least 12 miles away from the proposed well locations. Wildfires can spread at 15 miles per hour or faster, depending on wind conditions.
WATER SUPPLY
- Colorado has abundant energy resources and a dwindling water supply. The Sunlight-Long well pad will consume and permanently remove 700 million gallons from our water supply, which is enough water for all 5 million Colorado residents to live on for over two weeks. In return, we will add to the U.S.’s current (and likely growing) surplus of oil and gas.
- Statistically, it is highly probable that there will be spills and leaks of toxic chemicals from the proposed new wells. Due to the proximity of the wells and service road to the Aurora Reservoir, those chemical spills are likely to enter our water supply. The contaminants will not stay in the Aurora Reservoir; they will join the Platte River Basin, a watershed that supplies much of the American West.
HEALTH & AIR QUALITY IMPACTS
- On March 11, 2025, researchers from the Colorado School of Public Health published a peer-reviewed article demonstrating that children living within 3-8 miles of upstream oil and natural gas (O&G) areas may be at increased risk for an aggressive form of cancer known as acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). There are at least 10,000 households and numerous public and private schools within 5 km of the wells proposed as part of the Lowry Ranch CAP.
- Other health risks are difficult to quantify without knowing what specific chemicals and toxins will be used in the operation of the wells. Unfortunately, the ingredients used in the operator’s proprietary blends are not disclosed to the public or even to emergency response personnel.
- The cumulative impacts report included in the application reference studies done by the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH) in a different part of the state. The data collected appears to be very limited and many important details are missing from the report.
- Constructing and operating the 32 planned proposed new wells at Sunlight-Long will significantly add to pollution in an area that already experiences many air quality alert days. In addition to emissions estimates noted in the Lowry Ranch CAP cumulative impacts report, the project will contribute 600,000 diesel road miles in truck traffic.
