LONGMONT, Colo.—The Longmont City Council is imposing a 120-day moratorium on oil and gas drilling applications.
The Daily Times-Call reports ( ) members voted 7-0 Tuesday for the delay to give the city time to tighten its drilling regulations. The moratorium would expire April 18.
Some residents have raised concerns about how their health and water might be affected by an oil and gas extraction technique known as hydraulic fracturing. The process involves blasting a mix of water, sand and chemicals underground. Industry officials say fracking has been done safely for decades.
State law allows cities to set standards on how and where drilling operations are conducted, and a number of Colorado cities and counties have considered doing so.
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Information from: Daily Times-Call,
