This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
In early November 2018, Crestone Peak Resources, LLC filed state applications to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) for Form 2A, approvals of oil and gas locations and Form 2, permits to drill specific wells in unincorporated Boulder County. The county received notice of these applications starting on November 16 and continuing through November 20. The applications are for well sites and wells in the Comprehensive Drilling Plan (“CDP”) area proposed by Crestone. The COGCC hearing on the CDP has been postponed indefinitely pending the outcome of the county’s lawsuit filed September 25, 2018.
Because the COGCC’s consideration of the CDP is on hold indefinitely, and because the county’s lawsuit against Crestone challenges the legal right to use the sites in the CDP, Boulder County requested that Crestone put its applications on hold until the lawsuit is resolved. Crestone declined, so the county has asked the COGCC to reject or suspend these applications. The county’s comments on each of the Form 2 and 2A applications address the pending litigation, the COGCC continuance of its CDP hearing, the lack of any drilling and spacing units having been established in the area and the county’s on-going public health and safety concerns, as outlined in its comments to drafts of the CDP.
Boulder County requested a response from the COGCC whether it will put these applications on hold or reject them as untimely. Should the COGCC proceed with the applications, the county will request a public hearing in front of the COGCC Commission.
“We are very disappointed that Crestone is jumping the gun with these permit applications when our lawsuit raises important legal questions underlying the entire CDP project,” said Commissioner Elise Jones. “These applications are clearly premature and waste everyone's time.”
The public may comment to COGCC on these applications through COGCC's website by searching for applications in Boulder County at http://cogcc.state.co.us/
The subject Form 2A and Form 2 applications are permits that are reviewed by the COGCC, but any drilling proposals will ultimately require local approval under Boulder County’s regulations. For more information, please see Boulder County’s Oil and Gas Development website.
Longmont Police Department Use-of-Force Data
The Longmont Police Department (LPD) recently released a three-year analysis of the Longmont Police use-of-force.
"Over the last several years, a considerable amount of concern has been raised by residents of the United States regarding use of force by police officers. Certain incidents have increased public awareness due to high profile tragedies in Ferguson, Cleveland, New York City, Charleston, and other communities. Communities have expressed concern about how police departments with this anomalous authority, use force," is stated in the opening paragraph the analysis. Continue reading.
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Stand for Something: Access to The Law
Since the election of President Donald Trump, the part of the internet that caters to liberals has been abound with explanations of fascism and how you get there. We're not there yet -- not close, by my estimation -- but something new to me is that fascism requires ambiguity in the law. Well, not the law. The law is clear in dictatorships: what the dictator says, goes. What is required to be ambiguous is the rules for everyone else. Read more.
Talk to Longmont Leaders: Gary Ellison Talks about Master Police Officer Program
In this episode of Talk with Longmont Leaders, Scott Converse sits down with Gary Ellison to discuss the Master Police Officer Program.
Ellison is a Longmont resident who became interested in learning how the police department operates and seized an opportunity to attend the Citizen's Police Academy. A few weeks later he was asked to participate on the police department board specifically on the Master Police Officer process. Click here to listen to the podcast.
