RALLY PROTESTS PROPOSED OIL, GAS RULES
Hundreds of people turned out Thursday for a Capitol rally aimed at drawing attention to proposed new regulations for oil and gas drilling that they say could have negative economic consequences.
“We come here with a simple, important and final ask of our state government: ‘Please don’t rule us out,’ ” Meg Collins, president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said in echoing the rally’s theme.
Industry advocates have said the new rules, which seek to impose greater environmental protections, could drive up the costs to the point that companies leave the state.
Proponents of the new rule-making process dispute those views.
Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder, pointed to a recent announcement that Chevron will invest $7.3 billion in Colorado over the next decade, as well as a $1 billion investment by a smaller company.
“That’s not a sign of an industry getting ready to leave,” said TJ Brown, the Front Range field director for the Colorado Environmental Coalition.
Colorado has seen a 500 percent increase in oil and gas wells in the past decade, and forecasts predict up to 150,000 new wells could be drilled here over the next 30 years, said Evan Dreyer, a spokesman for Gov. Bill Ritter.
The rules released later this month will be drafts. Months of hearings will be held before they are finalized.
Rules for off-road vehicles tightened.
Gov. Bill Ritter has signed a bill that tightens the rules for off-road vehicles and allows 250 state officers to enforce laws on federal lands.
House Bill 1069 prohibits motor vehicles from using public lands, trails or roads unless it’s authorized by a sign or other means.
Violations in designated wilderness areas would carry a $200 fine.
Opponents argued it’s wrong to use state funds to enforce laws for the federal government.
