Gov. John Hickenlooper’s eight appointments Friday to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission prove to the industry he’s making good on his promised “new era of collaboration” in energy development.
But environmental groups say the new members on the panel suggest a shift away from the previous commission’s commitment to protecting the environment.
“I think the nicest thing I can say is that the jury is still very much out,” said Colorado Environmental Coalition’s executive director Elise Jones. “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.”
Hickenlooper, a former geologist, created a flap last year when he said industry regulations adopted in 2009 under former Gov. Bill Ritter, a fellow Democrat, went “overboard” in siding with environmentalists.
The Colorado Oil and Gas Association, claiming the regulatory environment was driving industry out of the state, sued over the new drilling rules. The association dropped its lawsuit in February because, president Tisha Schuller said at the time, Hickenlooper was sending industry the right signals.
Hickenlooper “clearly sees the benefit and need for economic growth and putting more Coloradans back to work, but today’s appointments clearly show his respect for the environment as well,” said Peter Dea, vice president of the Western Energy Alliance and president of Cirque Resources, a gas exploration and production company.
The previous state commissioners’ terms expired July 1, leaving Hickenlooper a nearly blank slate. Only two of the commission members were reappointments. The term of the ninth commissioner expires July 1, 2012.
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 experience with federal, state and local government 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 be competent, thoughtful and fair-minded,” Schuller said.
However, Jones said the new commissioners are largely unknown to her coalition.
Staff writer Lynn Bartels contributed to this report.
Electa Draper: 303-954-1276 or edraper@denverpost.com
On the board again
Two commissioners were reappointed:
• Thomas L. Compton of Hesperus, a Republican, is the 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 named Mike King, executive director of the Department of Natural Resources, and Chris Urbina, executive director of the state health department, to the board.
The term of the ninth commissioner, Dolly Ann “DeAnn” Craig of Denver, a Republican and petroleum engineer, expires July 1, 2012.
