COGCC SEEKS INPUT
State regulators get message that new oil, gas rules are needed to protect people
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will meet with different interest groups this month to receive input as it develops new oil and gas rules.
State regulators say they have heard “loud and clear” that people want new oil and gas rules to protect public health sooner rather than later, so meetings with different interest groups are starting this month.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission approved its first set of rules Wednesday to implement a new law that prioritizes public health and the environment when approving oil and gas projects. Next up will be the heart of Senate Bill 19-181 and the writing of rules to put in place changes long sought by Coloradans concerned about drilling in their communities.
The COGCC staff plans to meet with several “stakeholders” — oil and gas representatives, local public officials, community members and members of conservation groups.
COGCC Director Jeff Robbins said the staff will meet with people starting in Glenwood Springs in late August.
The staff also plans meetings in Weld and Boulder counties and Denver to get input on shaping the first draft of rules for what Robbins is calling “mission change.”
The new law changed the language of COGCC’s mission from fostering responsible oil and gas development to regulating development “in a manner that protects public health, safety, welfare, the environment and wildlife resources.”
The law also clarifies that cities and counties can use their planning and land-use authority to regulate the siting of wells, monitor emissions and oversee other activities on the surface.
Finalizing the rules is expected to take several months. The COGCC has scheduled a hearing on the proposed rules Feb. 26-27. Between now and then, the staff will meet with interested parties and the commissioners and hold more formal stakeholder meetings. People can sign up to participate and submit comments.
During a meeting Thursday, commissioners asked Robbins how the staff will tackle writing new regulations for the broad areas of health, safety and the environment.
“That’s to be determined,” Robbins said Friday. “That’s why we want to have stakeholder meetings. I want people to bring me their ideas of what mission change means.”
New rules dealing with procedures were approved Wednesday after a raucous public comment period. Some opponents of drilling at points coughed, snapped their fingers and called out comments when industry supporters and representatives talked. They
expressed frustration that drilling permits are being approved even though the new regulations haven’t been written.
Until the new rules are approved, Robbins has the authority to review permits to ensure they comply with the new law’s mandate. Critics question the criteria being used to decide if a permits warrants extra scrutiny.
“We believe that permitting must be halted until the substantive rules that fulfill the mission of (SB) 181 are implemented,” Anne Lee Foster of Colorado Rising said in an email.
Colorado Rising was the group behind Proposition 112, a ballot measure that would have required new wells be at least 2,500 feet from homes, waterways and other sensitive areas, a big increase from the current 500 feet. Colorado voters defeated the measure in the Nov. 6, 2018, election.
Colorado Rising will continue to participate in the rule-making, Foster said. “We are committed to fighting for the most stringent rules possible, ensuring that health and safety are definitively protected and that the latest science and health studies are the basis of the new rules.”