While the battle over Colorado oil and gas regulations is being fought above ground – on issues such as air quality and impacts on communities — there is near consensus when it comes to regulating down in the well. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is set to rule at the end of February […]
COGCC
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Millions in oil, gas taxes may have been lost because Colorado regulators didn’t enforce reporting rules
Colorado’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission failed to collect thousands of monthly production reports from operators across the state over a two-year period — information that impacts the accuracy of the state’s severance tax collection, according to a recently released state audit. Of the 420 oil and gas operators in Colorado, 316 were out of […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Colorado approves new oil and gas flowline mapping rules after fatal 2017 Firestone blast
GREELEY — Colorado regulators on Thursday approved a set of safety measures designed to increase citizen protections in areas surrounding thousands of miles of underground oil and gas pipelines in the state. The rules provide public access to a more detailed and accurate state map of locations of flowlines, which are pipelines that connect an […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Potential for short-term health impacts from Colorado oil and gas drilling leads to calls for temporary halt in permits
A new study shows that oil and gas drilling operations in Colorado may lead to short-term health impacts such as nausea, headaches and nosebleeds — a finding that is leading to calls for stricter regulations. The report, commissioned by former Gov. John Hickenlooper’s administration and released Thursday, found that health risks are greatest during drilling […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government
Trump’s “energy dominance” push changing plans for 3 million acres of Colorado land, local stewards say
Federal land managers are about to close the door on public input to decade-long resource management plans for sweeping swaths of public land in Colorado that now reflect the Trump Administration’s focus on boosting domestic energy production. That focus conflicts with new state laws aimed at protecting wildlife and improving air quality, which has united […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns, Politics and Government
Krieger: Fracking legacy dogs Hick among progressives
KC Becker of Boulder, speaker of the Colorado House, “liked” a tweet the other day proclaiming John Hickenlooper’s entry into the race for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Cory Gardner. In the absence of public commentary — and reticence is now fashionable among state Democratic Party officeholders in the suddenly sensitive matter of the […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Colorado oil and gas overhaul tips power toward local government. How that power is used will vary widely.
Before the city of Thornton adopted a new oil and gas ordinance, it got a letter from the state warning that it was overstepping its bounds. After the ordinance passed, the city was sued by the oil and gas industry. When Longmont adopted an ordinance that blocked oil and gas development in residential areas, it […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, News
Colorado expands buffer zone between schools, oil-gas wells to 1,000 feet following Proposition 112’s failure
By Dan Elliot, The Associated Press Colorado oil and gas regulators voted Tuesday to expand the mandatory buffer zone between new wells and school property, a rare victory for proponents of tighter rules for the industry. The state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will now require that new wells be at least 1,000 feet (305 […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Colorado regulators mull new rules increasing buffer zones for oil, gas drilling near schools
By Dan Elliot, The Associated Press Colorado oil and gas regulators are considering enlarging the mandatory buffer zone between new wells and school property. A proposal released by the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission late Wednesday afternoon would require new wells to be at least 1,000 feet (305 meters) from buildings as well as […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Crestone’s plans for oil and gas drilling on Boulder County open space could be delayed for years after state stops hearings
The state will not move on an application by Crestone Peak Resources to drill oil wells on Boulder County open space and land covered by conservation easements until a lawsuit between the county and the company are resolved—delaying the project for months, perhaps years. Ruling in favor of a motion by Boulder County a Colorado […]