Israel
Palma
High School Guidance Counselor - Carlsbad, New Mexico
I've
lived in the Carlsbad area all my life. A few years ago, my wife
and I decided to build our own house right outside of town. We
had a lot just north of the city limits, across the river, and
we built a nice new place there out of adobe.
 The
problem was that nearby was another lot that they didn't use to
build a house, but to drill a well. I've learned that the only
restriction they have is to be 500 feet away from an existing
structure. We're lucky, I guess. In Colorado it¹s only 250
feet away from the nearest house.
The
initial drilling was the worst because we could actually feel
it. Maybe it was because the house was adobe and the vibration
traveled through rock and up to the house. We could distinctly
feel the rotation of the motor and we would lay in bed at night
and feel the vibrations rattle through our new home.
Now
we have to live with the constant drone of the pump-jack, and
the eyesore of seeing that thing so close to our house. I can't
imagine what it has done to our property value.
I sometimes don't know what we can do. This area depends too much
on extractive industries, first the mines and now oil and gas.
We don't look at alternatives.
Can
we make a difference? I don't know. It seems like they always
win. It's hard to fight the big money boys.
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