Letters to the Leg in Colorado

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By Erin Adair, Colorado Program Coordinator In Colorado, we’ve been extremely engaged on oil and gas issues from fracking on federal public lands down to the fights local communities are waging with the State to keep fracking out of their neighborhoods and away from schools. Recently, the State went through a rulemaking process to increase drill site setback and create drill site groundwater monitoring standards. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) is appointed by the Governor and oversees oil and gas operations in the state. The COGCC heard testimony and public comment from many stakeholders including our members and other activists concerned with the impacts of drilling and fracking close to homes and schools. The rulemaking process fell short of anything that would protect Front Range citizens from the dangerous impacts fracking has on air and water quality. The new rules were finalized the week before the 2013 legislative session began and it was clear that state lawmakers would have to step in to protect Coloradans’ health and quality of life. For the last three months our members have been writing letters to, and calling, House Speaker Ferrandino and Senate President Morse to urge them to use their leadership positions to create strong regulations on drilling and fracking to protect public health and safety. People we talk to at the door are extremely concerned about fracking in Colorado and many are experiencing these impacts first hand as oil and gas companies are drilling in their neighborhoods or near their children’s school.  We collected over three thousand hand-written letters from members asking for stronger protections on drilling and fracking. Last November’s election created a thin environmental majority in the Colorado State House and State Senate. And, it’s been busy - many of our lawmakers had a lot of work they wanted to accomplish this session. We didn’t see any oil and gas bills introduced until late in the session. Many of the bills have dealt with the mechanics of the oil and gas operations, like increasing fines, tightening requirements for spill reporting, and increasing the number of inspectors in the state. A few addressed some of the more serious issues in Colorado, like reducing the conflict of interest in the COGCC and closing the loophole in the recent groundwater monitoring rule that exempts Weld, Boulder, Larimer, and Adams county from the state-wide water testing requirements. Last week, our whole staff trekked down to the State Capitol to deliver over 3,400 hand-written letters to Speaker Ferrandino and President Morse. Protecting public health from drilling and fracking is an important message these two leaders need to pass along to their fellow lawmakers. All but one of these bills passed through their assigned committee, but all a face perilous forward. It is unclear if they will pass a floor vote, but the bigger question remains will Governor Hickenlooper sign these bills or veto them if they make it to his desk?