DENVER—Gov. Bill Ritter’s pick to head the Colorado Department of Natural Resources has cleared the first hurdle to confirmation at the state Capitol.
The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to back Jim Martin’s appointment. The full Senate will vote next.
Martin told the committee that the department has sped up the process for approving oil and gas drilling permits so that operators are now waiting between 25 and 30 days, down from about 40 in recent months.
The industry has disputed the way the state calculates the figure. The wait doesn’t include the 10 days the state has to decide whether an application is complete. It also doesn’t include the 10 days set aside for a hearing if someone objects to a permit being granted.
