Drilling Near Cities: State Wants Public Input

Grace Hood/CPR News
A drilling rig operates right next to I-25 on Nov. 3, 2015 just north of Longmont.
Photo: Drilling Fracking Mead Longmont Rig (STAFF)
A drilling rig operates right next to I-25 on Nov. 3, 2015 just north of Longmont.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission will gather more public comment on the issue Monday.

The facilities can be smelly, and there can be a high volume of truck traffic. One issue is how the state defines large scale facilities. Colorado’s industry says the current definition is too onerous.

Some communities and environmental groups say the definition is too narrow, and only applies to less than 1 percent of wells drilled.

Director of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Matt Lepore says that the rule would apply to a small fraction of sites across the state. But it matters:

“These are the sites that are the most contentious always. These are the sites that draw the greatest attention from people of state of Colorado. We have to balance this of course. This is the important part and the difficult part,” he said.

Monday's meeting is reserved for testimony, with deliberation from commissioners slated for January.