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Release Date: March 23, 2009
DENVER – In a major victory for Colorado's future, the state Senate today passed a broad series of new protections that will safeguard the state's public health, environment and wildlife and promote a healthy, thriving energy industry. The new protections, which have the broad support of landowners in energy development areas, public health officials and a bi-partisan coalition of Colorado politicians, now stand on the brink of final approval. Only a procedural vote and the signature of Gov. Bill Ritter, who led the call for the new drilling guidelines, remain for these crucial new protections. "Everyone recognizes that these protections are critical for the long-term sustainability of Colorado's abundant natural resources, which bring in more than $3 billion a year to the state and maintain the livelihood of nearly 33,000 Coloradans," said Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Summit County, the chief sponsor of the 2007 Wildlife Habitat Stewardship Act that led to the new safeguards. "I applaud my colleagues in the state Legislature and Governor Ritter, who has championed this issue for so long, for approving these much-needed protections." The legislative approval is the culmination of a four-year effort that began when the Colorado Wildlife Federation and the Colorado Mule Deer Association took the lead in developing guidelines to protect our wildlife resource. "The protections required by the Wildlife Habitat Stewardship Act will help assure that Colorado's irreplaceable wildlife resource will be sustained, the health of our children protected and our diverse natural resource economy can thrive and grow," said Suzanne O'Neill, executive director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation. The new safeguards embody common-sense approaches such as prohibiting new oil and gas facilities within 300 feet of a public water supply, requiring companies to identify chemicals used in drilling and opening communication between oil and gas operators, the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to help protect wildlife and public health from long-term effects of drilling. "As a landowner who lives in the heart of Colorado's major natural gas boom, I have seen the need for these new safeguards for a long time," said Kim Weber, whose home is near a controversial oil and gas disposal facility near De Beque. "Our state leaders have taken a large leap forward to protect my health and the health of all the people I love." The protections, which the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission unanimously approved in December after conducting 21 hearings and the input from thousands of residents and businesses, came after an unprecedented coalition of wildlife conservation and environmental groups collaborated to develop new guidelines to protect wildlife habitat during energy development. Their work helped paved the groundwork for two key pieces of legislation in 2007, which both passed the state Legislature with overwhelming support, which required the commission to draft the new rules. "The new protections are a set of proactive, fair and balanced measures that will allow the energy industry to thrive in Colorado, while also protecting the majestic landscapes and crucial wildlife habitats that make the state so special," said Jim Ives, a former executive director of the Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Association, the predecessor to the Colorado Petroleum Association. The overwhelming need for new state oil and gas rules was highlighted by a series of incidents that contaminated public waterways last year. In one, Parachute Creek was choked by sediment from a nearby drilling operation, an incident that prompted the Colorado Attorney General to take action against the four oil and gas companies responsible. In another, a series of spills dumped more than 1.2 million gallons of tainted water into Garden Gulch, a tributary of Parachute Creek. A Parachute-area outfitter became ill after drinking spring water that was contaminated with benzene, forcing him to shutdown his outfitting business. "State legislators and the governor have proven their wisdom by passing these new protections," said Dr. Ken Gerdes, a Denver-based physician who specializes in internal and environmental medicine. "As we have seen in the last year, drilling mishaps have detrimental affects to Coloradans' health. These new guidelines are critical to help prevent any further public-health problems from occurring in the future."
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