Gov. John Hickenlooper’s eight appointments today to the commission charged with fostering and regulating the state’s oil and natural gas production have drawn praise from the industry and a cautious “wait and see” response from environmentalists.
An industry association said it was pleased with Hickenlooper’s appointments to the nine-member Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
“The appointments today emphasize skills and competence, rather than position and connections, with a much-needed political balance,” Colorado Oil and Gas AssociationPresident Tisha Schuller said in a statement.
However, Colorado Environmental Coalition Executive Director Elise Jones said the names, on balance, appear to be a shift away from the previous commission’s commitment to protecting the state’s water, air and wildlife.
“I think the nicest thing I can say is that the jury is still very much out,” Jones said. “We will hold the governor accountable for his promises to strike the right balance (in drilling) without contaminating our water, fouling our air or hurting wildlife and communities.”
Previous members’ terms expired July 1, leaving Hickenlooper a blank slate. Only two of the commissioners were reappointments.
The new commissioners, whose four-year terms will expire July 1, 2015 are:
Fort Lupton Mayor Tommy E. Holton, a Republican and past chairman of the Weld County Planning Commission, has past work experience as a welder and fabricator for oil field equipment.
John H. Benton of Littleton, a Republican, is vice president and general manager for the Rockies Division of Rex Energy Corp. in Denver.
W. Perry Pearce of Denver, a Democrat and attorney, is currently manager of state government affairs for ConocoPhillips/Burlington Resources.
Andrew Lawrence Spielman of Denver, a Democrat, is an attorney with Hogan Lovells and has federal, state and local government experience in natural resources and land use, such as ski area development. He is chairman of Colorado’s Regional Air Quality Council.
“We have worked with the new commissioners (Spielman, Holton, Benton and Pearce) in their current capacities and know them to competent, thoughtful and fair-minded,” Schuller said.
However, Jones said the new commissioners were largely unknown to the environmental coalition.
The two reappointed commissioners are:
Thomas L. Compton of Hesperus, a Republican, is owner and manager of Compton Cattle Co. and is a mineral royalty owner.
Richard D. Alward of Grand Junction, a Democrat, is an ecologist and environmental scientist at Aridlands Natural Resource Consulting. He is an adjunct instructor of environmental science at Colorado Mesa University.
The governor previously had named Commissioners Mike King, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources, and Chris Urbina, executive director of the Department of Public Health and Environment.
The term of an already seated ninth commissioner, Dolly Ann “DeAnn” Craig of Denver, a Republican and petroleum engineer, expires July 1, 2012.
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276 or edraper@denverpost.com
