Struggle not over



By RUTH HEIDE

ALAMOSA — Local and statewide environmental groups are pleased with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s approval this week of updates to state rules but do not feel that the fight to implement these rules is over.

“The next step is for the state legislature to pass a bill approving these rules,” said SLV Ecosystem Council Director Christine Canaly in emails to colleagues and media this week. “The oil and gas industry and some state republicans are going to use this opportunity weaken them, so the struggle isn’t over.”

Todd Malmsbury, Rocky Mountain Energy Campaign, said, “Wednesday’s action by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) is remarkable, precedent setting and one of the major accomplishments of our coalition. RMEC groups and key partners spent thousands of hours to win approval for rules that set a national precedent. And the predictable reaction from the Pleistocene wing of the Republican Party underscores the work ahead in the legislature and with the new administration.”

Malsmbury added that the COGCC’s rules meant a great deal to him personally since he had worked on wildlife and natural resource issues for a third of century in Colorado.

The environmental groups plan on letter-writing campaigns to legislators including newly elected House District 62 State Representative Ed Vigil of Costilla County.

Some of the key points to be addressed to legislators and newspapers through letters to the editor include: the rules were passed unanimously by COGCC which includes three members from the industry as well as members with diverse backgrounds; the rules were created after 18 months of effort, input and public hearings; and the legislature does not have to rewrite the rules, just determine that COGCC did the job it was asked to do.

COGCC approved the new and revised guidelines by an 8-0 vote. The rulemaking was directed by the General Assembly following the adoption of House Bills 1341 and 1298 in 2007.

The legislature will review the rules in the 2009 session.

The commission held more than 12 hours of public meetings across the state, received comments and testimony from thousands of people, conducted 12 days of hearings and deliberated for an additional 11 days before voting to approve the rules. The final package reflects a substantial number of modifications drawn from the comments and suggestions of industry representatives, local governments, conservation groups and others.

“Thanks to all of this public, industry and stakeholder input, we have crafted a modern framework that will allow one of our most important industries to thrive while protecting the things that make Colorado such a great place to live and work,” said COGCC Chairman Harris Sherman, director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.

The new and modified rules will:

• Establish protection zones around streams that serve public drinking water supplies.

• Require companies to keep track of and disclose to state and emergency responders chemicals they use in drilling operations.

• Manage erosion and reduce water pollution around oil and gas operators during storms and snow run-off seasons.

Proponents of the rules said they were balanced, responsible and fair. They said the energy industry in Colorado should be viewed in the context of the state’s entire economy that in large part depends on protecting natural resources.

“Colorado’s success in recent years of attracting people and businesses is based on a compelling mix of natural and social amenities that have made it one of the top economic performers in the West,” one group stated.

Hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing inject $3 billion into Colorado’s economy every year and support 33,000 jobs.

A July 2008 poll conducted by RBI Strategies and Research showed that a majority of Coloradans believe that oil and gas drilling must be done but only in a safe and responsible manner that would not cut corners and endanger public health. Seventy percent of those polled favored responsible drilling over rapid oil and gas development.