Carol Hawkins bought her cozy bungalow in Ault, about 15 miles north of Greeley, in 2017, settling in with her books, family photos and beloved Golden Retriever, Penny. The retired English professor thought she had found the perfect place to live out her days: a cute, yet affordable residential community close to her children and grandchildren.
But as the retired English professor ventured beyond her own little yard, she was startled to see new oil and gas wells springing up all over the countryside. Some less than a mile from her home and even closer to other residential neighborhoods.
“Across from the landfill. That was the beginning,” she said, sitting in her living room, where the air filters run 24/7. “And then there was a site going up behind that site. And then another one popped up right in downtown Ault next to the high school.”…