A reconstituted Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission went to work on May 21 developing regulations under the state’s new oil and gas law, SB 19-181, following Gov. Jared Polis’s (D) appointments 4 days earlier of seven members for terms expiring July 1, 2020. They represent a wide range of specific interests.
Brenda Haun, a veterinarian who owns a family ranch in Weld County, is an agricultural production or royalty member. Erin Overturf, the deputy director of Western Resource Advocates’ Clean Energy Program, is an environmental protection member and a Democrat. Howard Boigan, another Democrat and a member with oil and gas industry experience, is an attorney.
John Messner, a Gunnison County commissioner, is a local government member and a Democrat. Lilian Jolon, who directs San Juan Basin Public Health in Durango, was chosen for her expertise there and is politically unaffiliated.
Mark Hopkins, a Republican, is a retired Chevron Corp. engineer and was appointed because of his technical expertise. Pam Eaton, a Democrat, founded Green West Strategies, a Boulder conservation and renewable energy consulting firm and previously was The Wilderness Society’s deputy vice-president. Overturf and Boigan were reappointed; the others are new members.
Colorado Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Gibbs and Colorado Health and Environment Department Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan, or their designees, are ex-officio voting members.
The commission essentially is working under new ground rules that require it to consider potential public health and environmental impacts when it evaluates proposed projects. It’s no longer specifically charged with promoting oil and gas development.
The new law also gave local governments a bigger voice in decisions affecting proposed projects near their communities. COGCC Director Jeff Robbins released 17 new criteria on May 16 that the commission will use to determine whether a drilling permit application or other project requests require additional reviews. They include proximity to schools, homes, parks, wildlife areas, or waterways.
Industry concerns remain
When the Colorado Senate passed a reworked SB 19-201 on Apr. 3—which Polis signed into law soon after—the Colorado Oil & Gas Association and Colorado Petroleum Council jointly said the measure was the most comprehensive oil and gas legislation in the state in decades. They also acknowledged that a few amendments addressed some of the industry’s concerns but reiterated their opposition to it.
“State officials have committed to working with industry experts during the highly complex regulatory rulemakings following the bill’s enactment. That will be critical to minimizing the bill’s negative impacts on our state, and we hope that process can begin immediately,” the two Denver-based trade associations said.
The next few weeks will determine whether that occurs.About the Author
Nick Snow
NICK SNOW covered oil and gas in Washington for more than 30 years. He worked in several capacities for The Oil Daily and was founding editor of Petroleum Finance Week before joining OGJ as its Washington correspondent in September 2005 and becoming its full-time Washington editor in October 2007. He retired from OGJ in January 2020.