Vote No on 1223 and the Amendment to 1223– Keep the COGCC on track

Colorado statute ensures that Commissioners represent a range of perspectives as they guide oil and gas development. Current members include representation from:
• Oil and gas industry
• State Government
• Local Government
• Environmental
• Agriculture
• Public Health community

HB 1223 would sharply narrow this range. It would reduce the number of seats on the Commission from nine to seven and fill most seats with industry-associated members.

An amendment to HB 1223 would do equal or greater damage. It would:

• Weaken the voice of our citizen-experts by packing the existing Commission with two
  additional industry-associated members
• Threaten to turn the Commission in 2013 into a regulatory body of industry insiders

Limiting citizen input in this way would sharply diminish the range of informed perspectives now guiding oil and gas policy.

Colorado’s current Commission: Faciliting responsible production.
The Commission oversees a thriving industry while protecting Colorado’s communities and citizens. In 2010:

• Colorado led neighboring states in measures of oil and gas activity.
• The Commission issued the third-largest number of permits in Colorado history

Colorado’s current commission: Working for industry and communities.
The broad-based group succeeds in creating consensus and sound policies that support a healthy industry, a healthy economy, healthy communities, and a healthy environment.

Current Composition: 9 members
• Director of DNR
• Director of CDPHE
• Local Government
• Environment or wildlife expertise
• Reclamation or soil conservation expertise
• Agriculture representative who is a royalty owner
• 3 members with oil and gas experience

1223 Composition: 7 members
• Director of DNR
• Director of CDPHE
• Local Government
• 2 members either: Environment expertise OR reclamation expertise OR Agriculture representative
• 5 members with oil and gas experience

Amendment to 1223: 11 members
• Director of DNR
• Director of CDPHE
• Local Government
• Environment or wildlife expertise
• Reclamation or soil
conservation expertise
• Agriculture representative who is a royalty owner
• 5 members with oil and gas experience
Commission could be further altered from its current citizen-expert status into a regulatory body that privileges industry qualifications

The Commission Works – For Industry & For Colorado
Vote No on HB 1223 and the amendment to 1223

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