By Jennifer Finch, Information Specialist, Weld County Office of County Commissioners
Thursday, January 17th, 2013, 4:02pm
Reposted from littleton.kdvr.com
The Weld County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution on Wednesday, January 16, 2013, calling upon the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to dismiss its recent decision to increase setbacks for oil and gas facilities and to convene “a meaningful stakeholder process that will consider the need for a close working and coordinating relationship between local governments and the COGCC…”
The resolution cities numerous issues with the COGCC rule-making process including: the lack of stakeholder outreach by the COGCC to the Local Governmental Designees (LGD’s) of three of the highest producing counties in the state, including Weld County; the violation of C.R.S. 24-4-103(4)(a) regarding the rule-making process of the COGCC ruling; and the underestimation of the comparison of the probable costs and benefits of the proposed rule to the probable costs and benefits of inaction as is also required by Colorado Revised Statue (C.R.S. 24-4-103(4.5)(IV)).
“The process we witnessed last week at the hearings was government at its worst,” said Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer. “To rush this rule change through in the manner they did, without allowing the public to view and analyze the language and the impacts of the change, is irresponsible.”
The resolution also states that the Board of Commissioners has “…no intention of changing Weld County’s setbacks merely to mirror those setbacks set by the COGCC without any scientific or technological basis, which…the Proposed Amendments and new Rules lack…”
“County government, our municipalities and the oil and gas industry have worked together for decades to develop setback regulations that work for Weld County,” said Commissioner Douglas Rademacher. “The proposed change, which is not based on science, will have a substantial negative impact on our farmers, our ranchers, our schools, our fire districts…these changes will negatively impact the entire state of Colorado.”