Emily Gedeon, Emily.Gedeon@sierraclub.org, 720-308-6055
DENVER, CO - Colorado Governor Jared Polis will sign a bill today modernizing oil and gas standards today after a groundswell of grassroots support.
The practice of fracking for oil and gas has expanded rapidly in Colorado in the past decade, encroaching on homes, neighborhoods, and schools, and exposing thousands of Coloradans to dirty air and danger. The oil and gas industry in Colorado has operated under outdated regulations and a poor enforcement system, and Colorado communities demanded change.
Local analysis revealed that as the Colorado legislature considered Senate Bill 181, “the fossil-fuel industry [outspent] proponents of SB 181 by more than a 15-to-1 margin.”
“Coloradans now finally have a voice when it comes to oil and gas development in our state,” said Jim Alexee, Director of the Colorado Sierra Club. “We thank Governor Polis, Senator Steve Fenberg, Speaker KC Becker, and our leaders in the Colorado legislature for listening to the urgent calls from Coloradans who are ready for change. The policy changes in Senate Bill 181 will help to make our communities healthier and safer.”
According to scientists, pollution from oil and gas operations is one of the largest contributors to smog along the Front Range, causing more than 32,000 childhood cases of asthma each summer. The American Lung Association lists “reducing emissions from existing and new oil and gas operations” as one of the key actions Colorado can take to improve air quality.
Senate Bill 181, now law of the land in Colorado, will:
- Refocus the mission of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to regulate - rather than foster - the oil and gas industry by creating a commission with paid, full time experts;
- Empower local governments to have a stronger say by clarifying basic powers such as zoning and noise limitations and allowing local oversight and enforcement of operations;
- Direct air quality experts to consider rules to greatly reduce harmful emissions including methane, a dense greenhouse gas;
- Better protect property owners from forced pooling; and,
- Combat the growing problem of orphaned wells by setting forth a rule making around financial assurances and bonding requirements for oil and gas permits.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.