Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed the law last week, and the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will begin writing new rules in May. That could take months or years of hearings and painstaking negotiations with the industry and advocates for public safety and the environment.
Brackney predicted at least some cities and counties would overreach by imposing so many new restrictions on drilling that they effectively ban it. He said environmentalists would put so much pressure on local officials to impose de facto bans that they will cave for fear of losing the next election. – https://www.thedenverchannel.com
In an email to Earther, Jones noted that COGCC has a history of rubber-stamping drilling permits and “believ[ed] it was their role to facilitate oil and gas drilling.”
“Now they are directed to prioritize health and safety, which will empower them to better scrutinize the proposals that come before them—including considering things like cumulative impacts and requiring alternative site analyses – https://earther.gizmodo.com
Colorado is doing something “that hasn’t been done, and that is: a state with a very significant pool of gas and oil is going to make it a lot more difficult to mine it,” said Denver political analyst Floyd Ciruli. “There is really now ample warning that the way this legislation is drafted, it’s essentially going to allow some level of a ban.” – https://www.worldtribune.com