This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
On Tuesday night, city council unanimously agreed to sign a letter that will be sent to Governor John Hickenlooper, Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission Director Matt Lepore, and the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. The letter, which mentions concerns regarding oil and gas regulations, was drafted by the city and county of Broomfield. Broomfield County, Boulder County, Adams County, Lafayette, Boulder, Thornton, Westminster, Ft. Collins, Louisville, Erie, and possibly Superior, will also be signing the letter.
Here is the letter in full:
We are writing to you as local elected officials representing jurisdictions that are dealing with contentious proposals for oil and gas development and hydraulic fracturing near homes, schools, open space, water supplies, and local businesses in our communities.
The recent explosions and deaths in Firestone and Mead underscored the very real risks and dangers associated with oil and gas development. Our constituents are also concerned that oil and gas facilities emit harmful air emissions that could pose a public health risk to their families, or cause spills and leaks that could threaten water supplies with contamination. Residents who live near large-scale oil and gas sites are similarly worried that the associated noise, vibrations, dust and traffic will undermine their quality of life and property values.
While we recognize that our society currently depends on oil and gas for many day to day uses, we do not believe extraction of this resource is appropriate in urban areas. Regardless of whether you support or oppose oil and gas development, there is a large and growing consensus that this intensive industrial activity does NOT belong in residential neighborhoods, near schools or hospitals, or in close proximity to drinking water supplies.
Additionally, we question whether the statutes and rules that regulate this activity, many of which were adopted many years prior to the combined application of horizontal drilling and fracking, are adequate to address the current practices and technologies used today. Stronger statewide protections are needed to assure that new wells and pipelines are not located near where people live, work and play, and that these facilities meet the strongest public health and environmental standards. At the same time, we as local elected officials also need greater local control over oil and gas, so that we can ensure, just as we do with all other land uses in our communities, that any development meets public health, safety and welfare standards and is compatible with surrounding land uses.
Consequently, we are calling upon you to work with us to take the necessary actions to achieve these goals and address this increasingly controversial issue, which is dividing our communities and undermining the sense of health and safety our constituents feel in their homes and neighborhoods. The status quo is not acceptable, nor is this issue going away.
Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to your response.
