Proposed Elbert County Oil & Gas Regulations and Permitting Process
Part II, Section 26.2 Review Procedures
I. OPERATIONAL CONFLICTS WAIVER
A waiver to these Regulations shall be granted if or when the application of the requirements of these Regulations actually conflict in operation with the rules of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act or implementing regulations.
1. All applications where a waiver due to operational conflicts is requested shall be processed as a Major Oil & Gas Facility and heard in a noticed public hearing by the Board of County Commissioners. The Applicant shall have the burden of pleading and proving an actual, material, irreconcilable operational conflict between the requirements of this section and those of the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission in the context of a specific application.
Translation: You have to prove an operational conflict exists between interpretations of the county and interpretations of the state regulations.
2. For purposes of this Section, an operational conflict exists where an actual application of a County condition of approval or regulation is contrary to State statutory or regulatory requirements and where such conflict would materially impede or destroy the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission’s goals of fostering the responsible, balanced development, production, and utilization of the oil and gas resources in the State of Colorado in a manner consistent with protection of public health, safety, and welfare, and protection of the environment and wildlife resources.
Translation: The county determines the standard by which it will accept a conclusion of an operational conflict.
3. County requirements in areas regulated by the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission that fall within County land use powers necessary to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare pursuant to the application presented, and which do not impose unreasonable burdens on the Applicant, or materially impede the State’s goals, shall be presumed not to present an operational conflict.
Translation: The county will interpret when an operation conflict exists and whether the conflict presents an unreasonable burden to the applicant.
4. If the Board of County Commissioners determines that compliance with the requirements of these Regulations results in an operational conflict with State statutes or regulations, a waiver to this section shall be granted, in whole or in part, but only to the extent necessary to remedy the operational conflict. The Board of County Commissioners may mitigate any impacts by conditioning the approval of a waiver as necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. Any such condition shall be such that the condition itself does not conflict with the requirements of the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission.
Translation: The county says whether a waiver that they might offer will satisfy the conflicting state requirement.
5. If the Applicant, or any person entitled to receive notice of the original application for the Oil & Gas. Facility, wishes to seek judicial review of a final Board of County Commissioner’s decision on the operational conflict waiver request, appeal to the district court shall be pursuant to C.R.C.P. Rule 106(a)4.
Translation: If you don’t like it, sue us.