A bid by the state’s largest oil and gas producer to drill 26 wells within 2,000 feet of 62 homes in Firestone was rejected Thursday by Colorado regulators. It was the first major test of the state’s requirement that oil and gas drilling be set back at least 2,000 feet from homes and schools. Both […]
setbacks
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s largest driller still wants to put wells within 2,000 feet of homes, but offers some concessions
Kerr-McGee reversed course Wednesday and agreed to use an electric rig and non-polluting drilling muds and to pipe waste water off site in a bid to drill oil and gas wells within 2,000 feet of homes in a Firestone neighborhood. Kerr-McGee, the state’s biggest oil and gas producer, announced the concessions during a Colorado Oil […]
Posted inClimate, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Colorado oil and gas regulators finalize new rules for the drilling industry — and themselves
Colorado’s regulatory arm for the energy industry on Monday formally set itself on a new path to prioritize public health and safety, and the environment when making decisions on oil and gas drilling permits. The changes to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission are the result of Senate Bill 181, which was passed by […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Why is Colorado’s oil and gas commission opposing the will of voters?
Two years ago, the voters in Colorado spoke out loud and clear when they rejected Prop 112 — the proposed de facto ban on oil and natural gas production in the state. That failed ballot measure would have increased the setback distance of oil and natural gas operations to homes, schools, and other buildings from […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, News, Politics and Government
Colorado regulators back 2,000-foot setback for new oil and gas drilling in “paradigm shift”
All homes and schools in Colorado should be protected from new oil and gas drilling by a 2,000-foot buffer or setback – four times the current standard for urban areas, a majority of the members of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission said. In a session Wednesday to review proposed rule changes on setbacks, […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Oil and gas does about-face as six-week overhaul of Colorado drilling regulations begins
The battle lines are drawn and the forces – from high-priced lawyers to homeowners cheek and jowl with drilling rigs – arrayed for marathon hearings, starting Monday, aimed at reorienting Colorado’s oil and gas commission from promoting development to protecting public health and the environment. Through a set of proposed rules, the operation of the […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Here’s who Gov. Polis just named to sit on the new, full-time panel regulating Colorado oil and gas
The full-time oil and gas commission that will handle the development of some of the most controversial regulations mandated by the legislature in 2019, was announced Monday by Gov. Jared Polis. The five-member commission, which takes over July 1, will replace the nine-member, volunteer body that has been working for the last year on regulations […]
Posted inBusiness, Crime and Courts, Education, Energy, Environment, Growth, Health, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
The top 10 issues to watch in Colorado’s 2019 legislative session
The new Democratic majority at the state Capitol is poised to make significant policy shifts in Colorado after four years of stalemate in a divided General Assembly. The party’s complete grip on the levers of power will move different issues to the forefront and put Republicans — who had held the state Senate since 2015 […]
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 […]