Encana Still Plans To Go Ahead With Fracking Near Erie Schools

ERIE, Colo. (CBS4) - This weekend an oil company will set up a drilling rig between two schools in Erie.

Encana will take up to eight days to drill each of eight planned wells. They will frack for oil between Red Hawk and Erie elementary schools.

This week a group of mothers called "Erie Rising" went to the Denver headquarters of Encana Oil and Gas to try to stop the fracking near their children's schools. The women hand-delivered 21,000 signatures from petitions across the country.

"The risk to their safety with drilling, the chemicals they are using and trucks transporting the chemicals back and forth," Jennifer Palazzolo with Erie Rising said.

"The setback standard set by the state is 350 feet in high density residential area. This location far exceeds that," Wendy Wiedenbeck with Encana said.

The mothers plan a demonstration near the site on June 2.

Encana says it will use mufflers, barriers and fluorescent bulbs to minimize noise and light pollution.