The Colorado Oil and Gas Association said Tuesday it has dropped its lawsuit against the City of Longmont over local drilling regulations.
In 2012, Longmont adopted a drilling ordinance — including a ban on drilling in residential areas.
The city was sued by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and COGA. The two argued that only the state has the right to regulate drilling.
In August, the oil and gas commission dropped its suit as part of a deal to remove initiatives from the ballot aimed to bolster local control.
TOP Operating Co., the sole driller in the city, has been guaranteed the ability to operate.
“COGA has agreed to the dismissal of its claims in the Longmont regulatory lawsuit because the single operator there has an agreement in place with the city and because the courts are making it clear that local regulations do not preempt state law,” COGA president Tisha Schuller said in a statement.
Mark Jaffe: 303-954-1912, mjaffe@denverpost.com or
