Yesterday, April 16, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed SB 19-181, ‘Protect Public Welfare Oil and Gas Operations.’
Some of the key features of SB 19-181, as summarized in a press release from environmental group Conservation Colorado:
- Refocuses the mission of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to prioritize health, safety and the environment over industry profits;
- Empowers local governments to have a stronger say by clarifying basic powers such as zoning and noise limitations and allowing local oversight and enforcement of operations;
- Directs air quality experts to consider rules to greatly reduce harmful emissions including methane, a potent greenhouse gas;
- Better protects property owners from forced pooling;
- Combats the growing problem of orphaned wells by setting forth a rule making around financial assurances and bonding requirements for oil and gas permits; and,
- Creates a professional, paid commission that can better address the litany of permits, rulemaking and oversight the commission must handle.
Conservation groups responded to the bill’s passage with the following statements:
“Today marks a new chapter in Colorado’s history. For the first time ever, our state is on track to put the health and safety of workers and residents, and our environment ahead of oil and gas industry profits. This policy is nearly a decade in the making, and we applaud our elected leaders who fought for so long to make it a reality.”
— Kelly Nordini, Executive Director, Conservation Colorado
“SB 19-181 is a victory for the people of Colorado. By signing this bill, Gov. Jared Polis will expand Colorado’s leadership on methane and curb emissions of this dangerous greenhouse gas, while also helping prevent catastrophic well explosions that threaten our communities. As the Trump administration continues its assault on federal methane protections, it is more important than ever that Colorado respond by boldly cutting methane and fighting climate change.”
— Matthew Garrington, State Campaigns Manager, Energy Program, Environmental Defense Fund
“There has never been any Colorado legislation as comprehensive and impactful as SB 19-181. The people beset by the callous onslaught of oil and gas development now have a state government that is prioritizing their interests over the industry’s. This is long overdue and much appreciated.”
— Josh Joswick, Issues Analyst/Community Organizer, Oil and Gas Accountability Project
“Finally, after all these years, we have a bill that will protect health and safety in the gas lands. Residents of Garfield County thank Governor Polis for making this long-awaited bill law. However, we must ensure the intent of the law is upheld through the rule-making process.”
— Leslie Robinson, Member, Grand Valley Citizens Alliance
From the Conservation Colorado press release:
Industry groups spent heavily on misleading advertising against SB 19-181. Analysis conducted by Westword’s Chase Woodruff as the bill moved from the Senate to the House showed that “the fossil-fuel industry [outspent] proponents of SB 181 by more than a 15-to-1 margin.” That spending included included TV advertising that was labeled “misleading” by the Colorado Sun and, at various points, “full of overstatements” and not “not accurate at all” by 9 News’ Kyle Clark.
A quick search on Google this morning failed to bring up reactions from the oil and gas industry.
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.