This week we were once again reminded how we do business in Colorado—we work together and we solve problems.
Tuesday marked the wrap up of the oil and gas task force convened by Gov. John Hickenlooper last September. The task force developed nine recommendations on oil and gas regulation for Colorado that they will be officially submitted to the governor on Friday. What’s encouraging is that when you put a diverse group of interests at a table together and give them good information and facts, the right answers for Colorado can be found.
We were worried that the task force would be stalemated, and we want to applaud the governor for calling this task force together and trusting Coloradans to once again find the right path forward. And, to the task force members we thank you for your service to our state. This task force was a mix of thoughtful civic leaders, environmentalists, business people and members of the oil and gas industry. You worked together and found common ground, providing us with recommendations that recognize the importance of input from local governments and strengthen our nationally recognized regulations to protect our health and environment.
Here’s what the task force recommended:
Strengthening relationships with local governments.
- Energy companies must consult with local governments when locating a new well in urban areas.
- Energy companies must share their best, good-faith assessment of their five-year drilling plans with local governments, allowing local officials to compare those plans to their local master plan.
- Enhance the role of local government liaisons to ensure they have the resources to effectively serve as a conduit between the local government and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC).
- Work with the Colorado Department of Transportation to reduce the impacts of traffic related to oil and gas production for local residents.
Strengthening our already strong regulations to protect our environment and public health.
- Provide an additional 11 staff for the COGCC to work on field inspections, enforcement and permitting.
- Increase state health department staff dedicated to monitoring oil and gas air quality compliance.
- Encourage the legislature to approve rules designed to cut pollution—including methane emissions—from oil and gas equipment.
Improving communication so we all better understand the industry and it better understands community expectations.
- Create an oil and gas information clearinghouse in the Colorado Energy Office.
- Start a program in the COGCC to help oil and gas companies comply with the state’s rules governing their operations.
The Colorado way of doing business may not always be the fastest or easiest route, but it does ensure we make the best decisions for Colorado. By guaranteeing that everyone has a seat at the table and creating a process where all our voices are heard, we find the right path forward.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
