July 06, 2013 09:16 AM UTC

Legislative Session Long Over, But Oil and Gas Still Sizzles

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• by: Colorado Pols

As we reported, the last days of this year's session of the Colorado General Assembly saw a rush of activity on several bills aimed at easing Coloradans' concern about the increasing impacts of oil and gas development. After a multi-million dollar lobby effort by the oil and gas industry (and the "help" of Governor John Hickenlooper), many of these bills died in the waning days of the session. But the repercussions of these battles still simmer, and the controversy around drilling and fracking near Colorado homes and schools is nowhere near resolved.

We should note, however, that the industry seemed to at least partially wake up to the facts: simply relying on Governor Hickenlooper to kill any proposal they don't like is not playing well with the public in affected communities. Colorado Oil and Gas Association's Tisha Schuller embarked on a not so secret publicity tour promising more listening sessions and even including diverse voices at their annual conference.

While the tour generated some good press, it didn't take long for drilling controversies to quickly heat up. In Greeley, the heart of drilling activity in the Wattenberg Field, citizens pushed back on the idea of new wells in their neighborhoods. Meanwhile, local governments continued to resist allowing fracking within their borders–both the City of Boulder and Boulder County renewed drilling moratoriums.

More evidence that local governments were still very much engaged in oil and gas issues can be found in a letter sent last month from over 100 current and former local elected officials, asking Governor Hickenlooper for an "improved approach to addressing oil and gas development in Colorado."

We are concerned that the State’s positions do not adequately address the growing outcry from our citizens who are concerned about the health and safety of their families, the livability of neighborhoods, and the long-term economic vitality of our communities. 

As the Colorado Independent's Andrea Tudhope reported in June: 

La Plata County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt spearheaded the effort urging colleagues throughout the state to sign onto three letters and an email that made it to the desks of Chief Strategy Officer Alan Salazar and Hickenlooper on Wednesday.

“Oil and gas is an important part of our economy, but we can’t have it at the expense of our water and air quality,” said Lachelt, longtime activist and founder of Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project.

In the letters, officials express a pressing need for a new approach to oil and gas development, one that will support health and safety and promote research to ensure long-term protection for Colorado communities.

According to Lachelt, Hickenlooper has consistently lobbied against a number of bills proposing to research and effectively minimize the environmental and overall health impacts of oil and gas development. One such measure, proposed by State Representative Joann Ginal, would have initiated a study about the impact of oil and gas extraction on human health.

Read the full letter here. It outlines local government's frustration with the prioritization of a single industry over the interests of Coloradans–particularly when the industry only consists of 1.2 percent of total Colorado jobs, and only generated approximately 2.3 percent of total personal income in the state. The signers correctly point out that "neither the state nor one industry should be able to control a community's right to determine its future."

State Representatives have also continued the drumbeat as they respond to ongoing constituent concerns. Rep. Mike Foote (D-Lafayette), who saw a number of proposed oil and gas legislative efforts stymied by the power of the oil and gas industry, summed up many Coloradans feelings in a recent op-ed: if industry "the industry continues to say 'no,' (to more protections), the people of Colorado will say 'no' to oil and gas."

"Until Coloradans have confidence that the oil and gas industry is behaving responsibly in our state, and under strict environmental safeguards, we will see this dynamic continue. Building public confidence by setting and enforcing high standards will not only protect the environment and people's health and safety, it will also protect the livelihoods of the Coloradans who work in the industry."

We have written at length about the political ramifications in Colorado and nationally of Governor Hickenlooper blatantly siding with the oil and gas industry over concerned Coloradans (and fellow Democrats). As we've said before, for all of the victories Democrats enjoyed this legislative session, this issue isn't going away–and stands out in sharper relief as the successes in other areas pile up.

At the end of the letter, signers ask for a meeting and to hear back from the Governor on their concerns. We understand as of this writing, full two months later, a response has yet to be received. In our opinion, this is an opportunity the Governor shouldn't ignore–a chance to address his biggest long-term political liability.

Long after the brouhaha over gun control or the death penalty has subsided, this issue will remain front and center.