The process continued Tuesday night with the development of a plan between local groups of interest and an energy company, to protect the watershed of Grand Junction and Palisade.
There were several tense moments at the Palisade Community Center during the public meeting and the main concern of many is protecting not only the quality of the water, but to get a guarantee from Genesis Oil and Gas that an accident will not happen.
The meeting was the second step in a lengthy process to devise a community development plan, before Genesis seeks any permits to conduct exploratory gas well drilling.
The purpose was to explore the comments and questions raised from the first public meeting which took place in December.
Vice President of Business Development Bob Behner said the three focal points of the comments surrounded communication with the company, watershed protection and finally technology and operations.
Behner also said that concerns over water are being heard, saying that the company will start exploration on the outer edges of the leases and if viable, will turn inward towards the watershed areas.
The next meeting will be held in mid April and the rough draft of the community plan is expected to be finished by early July, with a final draft being released to the public shortly after that.
