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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Joe Fassler, with data reporting by Will Craft and Andrew Witherspoon

There are thousands of dirty old drill sites in Colorado. The state gave oil firms a $1bn pass

Illustration of pumpjacks with logos of Civitas, Chevron and Oxy

When Christiaan van Woudenberg moved to Erie, Colorado, in 2007, he never imagined he would become an anti-fracking activist. He simply thought he was buying his dream home – a four-bedroom with a panoramic mountain view, 30 minutes north of downtown Denver.

Then, in 2014, the drilling started. Oil and gas rigs sprang up, some just 800ft (240m) from his bedroom window. The dream turned to nightmare: loud noises rumbled all night long, and the air stank like exhaust. Neighbors started getting headaches and nosebleeds, and Van Woudenberg developed new respiratory issues. He kept his windows shut and worried about his daughters going outside.

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