Oil, gas interests take Thornton, Colorado to court over local regulations

Colorado Petroleum Council, a Colorado-based division of API, together with the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, has filed a joint lawsuit against the City of Thornton, Colorado, over new regulations it adopted regarding the oil and gas industry.

In 2016, the Colorado Supreme Court overturned a moratorium the City of Fort Collins, Colorado, had put on fracking and a voter-stirred ban on hydraulic fracking in Longmont, Colorado. This was due to the fact that state law preempts local ordinances where fracking, as well as oil and gas, are concerned.

The Thornton City Council voted to exceed state regulations on the issue anyway, by requiring a 750-foot buffer between well operations and homes. Colorado requires only 500-foot buffers. It also demanded that drilling companies in the area maintain $5 million in general liability insurance for property damage and bodily injury–a full $4 million more than required by state law.

“Strong environmental stewardship has produced comprehensive and effective natural gas and oil regulations here in Colorado,” Tracee Bentley, Colorado Petroleum Council executive director, said. “One of the major concerns we have with the city’s new regulations is that they overlook the latest scientific data and the current statewide oversight of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. A patchwork of conflicting city regulations is the wrong path for consumers and disregards the stakeholder process that Colorado is known for.”