Registration is now open for people wishing to attend and/or speak at Boulder County commissioners’ Dec. 1 virtual public hearing on proposed changes to the land use code aimed at oil and gas development.
The regulations, a draft of which can be viewed here, were revised in response to the passage of Senate Bill 19-181. Also known as “Protect Public Welfare Oil And Gas Operations.” The act “prioritizes public safety, health, welfare, and the environment in the regulation of the oil and gas industry by modifying the oil and gas statutes and by clarifying, reinforcing, or establishing various aspects of local governments' regulatory authority over the surface impacts of oil and gas development.”
The regulations will allow staff, the Parks & Open Space Advisory Committee, the Planning Commission and commissioners "to consider site-specific circumstances and possible measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse impacts in determining whether to approve or deny a proposal," according to a news release.
A county moratorium on new oil and gas development and seismic testing will remain in place through Dec. 31 while the regulations are under review.
Staff will present the proposed regulations to the Boulder County Commissioners and public testimony is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Dec. 1, according to a separate news release.
No action will be taken on Dec. 1. The commissioners will reconvene at 4 p.m. Dec. 3 for discussion of the changes and will adopt the regulations or direct staff to modify them. No additional public testimony will be taken on Dec. 3.
Registration is required for speakers as well as those who wish to attend the virtual hearing. Register here.
People can sign up to speak as individuals or as groups pooling time. Name, address and email address are required to register to speak, according to the release.
For groups that are pooling time, only the designated speaker should register but speakers will be asked to submit the names and addresses of those who are donating time, according to the release.
Individual speakers will receive 2 minutes to make their comments. Two people pooling their time will have 4 minutes, three people pooling their time will have 6 minutes and four or more people pooling their time will have 8 minutes.
Online speaker registrations are automatically time-stamped at sign-up to determine the order in which speakers will be called to address the board, according to the release. The speaker order and estimated times will be available on the oil and gas webpage after noon Nov. 30, according to the release.
Comments also can be submitted in advance by emailing [email protected].
