March 26, 2009 12:34 AM UTC

CEC Word of the Day: WHOO-HOO!

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• by: OurColorado

In case you haven’t already heard the wonderful news, we have two HUGE victories to celebrate today:

   1. In Congress, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, HR 146, (which includes the Rocky Mountain National Park and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness bills) passed the House today (again) on a vote of 285-140. With last week’s passage by the Senate, the bill now heads to President Obama’s desk, where it should be signed into law within a few days. What a wonderful and long-awaited victory for us all to get two new wilderness areas in Colorado! (FYI, the Colorado congressional delegation voted along party lines.)

  2. At the state legislature, the Rules Review Bill, HB 1292, which includes the oil and gas rules we’ve been working on for the past 18 months, was approved by the Senate today on a vote of 21 to 13. The new safeguards embody common-sense approaches such as prohibiting new oil and gas facilities within 300 feet of a public water supply, requiring companies to identify chemicals used in drilling and opening communication between oil and gas operators, the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to help protect wildlife and public health from long-term effects of drilling. We anticipate that Gov. Ritter will sign it into law sometime next week.