It was purely by journalistic happenstance that the Great Bend Tribune, and in turn, its readers know about the oil wells being proposed in the area of Cheyenne Bottoms. A source told a reporter about it, otherwise, the public would have never known.
Sure, the U.S. Corps of Engineers published a legal notice announcing the projects. But, it appeared only on their website.
We wondered why such an important announcement was not printed in the newspaper. After all, other public entities when they have something important in the works, publish legal notices.
Apparently, this is not the case with the Corps. You see, our federal government is above this.
The Tribune contacted Luke M. Cory, regulatory team leader for the Corps’ Kanopolis Regulatory Field Office via e-mail. We asked why nothing appeared in the paper.
Below is his response:
“Regulatory public notices are published on Corps websites.  You can access and visit our Corps website at the link below my title box.  We maintain a list of persons who have requested an email notification when new public notices are posted, and we would be glad to add you or the Great Bend Tribune to that list if requested.  Hard copies of public notices are mailed to adjacent property owners and project specific stakeholders identified by the applicant.”
By the way, these notices provide for a 21-day public comment period. We found out at about the half-way point.
This is why newspapers and public notices published in them are important. It is why there is a need for open records. It is why there is a need for open meetings.
If left to their own devices, information that could have a direct impact on American citizens may be, at best, obscured by bureaucratic protocol or, at worse, intentionally hidden from public view.
Government can’t be left to police itself.
This is not an issue of whether one supports drilling an oil well in the Bottoms, although it is hard to imagine that it could be a good idea, or not. It is a matter of transparency, an issue of openness. 
Cory’s remarks took on a decidedly arrogant tone. Basically, they will do as they wish as per their policy and, if anyone wants to know what they are up too, they have to dig.
Does that mean that we, the stakeholders, must trudge and shovel through the innumerable number of official digital portals just on the off chance there is something that impacts our lives? How would anyone know when, where, how or how often to search?
The Kansas Press Association has fought with groups representing public entities (such as the League of Kansas Municipalities) over the issue of allowing them to publish their legals notices (budgets, bid lettings and other important items) exclusively on their websites. They would cease printing these notices in the official newspapers covering them, expecting John Q. Public to happen upon them.
When they appear in ink in a forum that continually draws attention, such as a newspaper classified section, officialdom is held accountable. Otherwise, their actions can slip by those who those officials are supposed to represent.
This is a government of the people, by the people and FOR the people.
The Corps of Engineers in this case, although following policy, is clearly not working for those who pay the taxes that keep the Corps operating.
Let this also be a lesson to others who think it wise to stop printed public notices. Think twice. The money you save may come at a greater expense – loss of credibility and trust in a government run amuck.
Dale Hogg