Operations of a Kinder Morgan pumping station on County Road BB have been adjusted to reduce noise that was bothering a neighboring household.
Resident Tom Hayden and his wife reside 1,000 feet from the recently built industrial pumping plant in Pleasant View, which pushes CO2 produced from nearby wells through a pipeline.
The Haydens described the plant noise as up and down, but when it was loud, it sounded “like a jet-airline taxiing,” Hayden said.
He reached out to the company and Montezuma County for a solution, and Kinder Morgan agreed to pay for an independent sound test over a five-day period, estimated to cost $4,000.
But the noise survey was put on hold since Kinder Morgan revamped how it operates the plant in order to make it quieter.
“The noise has gone down and stayed there the last six weeks,” Hayden said at a Dec. 19 county commissioners meeting. “In the past, it would ramp up and get loud for three or four days then ramp down.”
A Kinder Morgan official told the county commissioners they felt the adjusted operations plan would fix the noise problem. In coming months, the situation will be reviewed to determine if further action is needed.
Other county newsMontezuma County commissioners are seeking a $107,675 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado to purchase mobile restroom facilities for the county fairgrounds. The restrooms would be used to accommodate the public at outdoor events, including at the main outdoor arena and racetrack. Also the Ute Mountain Ute Rodeo will be upgrading the rodeo chutes at the fairgrounds to comply with the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association.Montezuma County officials learned this month that they are required to offer language assistance to the Ute Mountain Ute tribe during elections as part of the Voting Rights Act. County Clerk Kim Percell said she could find interpreters if needed. She also said that adding the Ute language onto ballots would increase printing costs. A letter was to be sent to the Ute Mountain Ute tribe to determine their needs.The Montezuma County Fair Board requested county permission to serve beer and wine at the county fair as a way to generate revenue. The county commission is considering the proposal for alcohol sales, which would be a first for the fair. The county suggested that if they allow it, fair funding from the county would be reduced from $20,500 back to the previous $17,500 budgeted amount. The fair board unanimously supports having beer and wine sales, a board official said, which would be offered only in designated areas and would served by certified staff. The board plans to present the county commission with a business plan for alcohol sales at an upcoming meeting. The county commission has previously denied requests to serve alcohol at the county fair.jmimiaga@the-journal.com