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Subject: [oil&gas] RELEASE: State oil and gas commission releases revised
oil and gas protections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 31, 2008
CONTACT:
Suzanne O'Neill, Colorado Wildlife Federation, 303-919-3949
Elise Jones, Colorado Environmental Coalition, 303-885-4273
Lisa Bracken, Silt landowner, 970-379-9113
State oil and gas commission releases revised oil and gas protections
DENVER, Colo. - Proponents of responsible energy development expressed
initial encouragement for a revised state proposal to strengthen protections
for Colorado's water, wildlife and communities threatened by an
unprecedented oil and gas drilling boom. However, advocates stated there
were several key issue areas with ample room for improvement by state
officials.
On Monday, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources released an updated
proposal for improving the way oil and gas development is managed in the
state.
"We're encouraged that the state listened carefully to the input of all
stakeholders, including industry, and made changes to their initial proposal
that still result in greater protections for Colorado's water, wildlife and
communities," said Elise Jones, executive director of the Colorado
Environmental Coalition.
The rules call for:
. The disclosure of chemicals that drillers use and inject into the
ground
. Stronger limits on drilling near public water supplies
. Stronger restrictions on oil and gas waste pits and better reporting
requirements for spills of waste fluids like those occurring recently on the
Roan Plateau
. Stronger protections for wildlife, including seasonal drilling
"time-outs" and restrictions on maximum well densities in critical wildlife
habitat.
However, advocates for the groups said key aspects of the rules were not
strong enough, and that more work is needed to improve them. For example,
recent spills from overflowing waste pits near the Roan Plateau demonstrate
that pit-less drilling operations should be mandatory in watersheds that
supply public drinking water. The groups said they will carefully review
proposed wildlife protections to ensure they actually protect species like
mule deer, elk, sage grouse and cutthroat trout. And they will seek to
ensure that comprehensive development plans are done consistently to lessen
the cumulative damage caused by the drilling boom.
"During the first quarter of this year, drilling permit applications are up
one third over the first quarter of last year," said Suzanne O'Neill,
executive director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation. "We're eager to
examine the draft to ensure it has both strong protections and incentives
for operators to minimize harm to our world-class wildlife resources."
In the coming months, the groups said they will develop more specific
recommendations for the state to ensure these rules work to protect the
things that make Colorado a wonderful place to live.
"There's still a long road ahead, but clearly Gov. Ritter and his
administration understands that the people of Colorado want drilling to be
conducted responsibly," said Lisa Bracken, a Silt landowner. "We're glad to
see landowners have real voice in process and we look forward to seeing
these protections strengthened in the coming months."
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