AURORA, Colo. (AP) - The Latest on local oil and gas regulations (all times local):
4:30 p.m.
Boulder County has begun work on new oil and gas regulations after the Colorado Legislature passed a law giving local governments authority over the location of new wells.
The county commissioners said Tuesday they decided against imposing a drilling moratorium while the rules are revised because no drilling applications are pending.
But Commissioner Elise Jones said a moratorium could be enacted if the county receives a drilling application before the rules are complete.
Commissioners haven’t said what the new county rules would look like. Officials said it will take time to draw them up and refine them, and some would depend on how state regulators rewrite their rules in the next few months.
In addition to giving local governments new authority, the state law makes public safety and the environment the top priority of regulators.
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11:30 a.m.
The Aurora city council has given ConocoPhillips approval to drill for oil and gas under Colorado’s new law governing such projects.
The Aurora Sentinel reports that the council voted 6-4 Monday night on an agreement that allows ConocoPhillips to operate 45 new well sites in Aurora. The company already operates about 50 wells in the city.
Under the agreement, ConocoPhillips agreed to higher reporting standards than currently required by state rules and to respond to any odor complaints within 24 hours.
The project still needs approval from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
The Colorado Legislature this year enacted a new law that makes public health and the environment a top priority in considering oil and gas projects and gives local governments new powers to regulate well locations.
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Information from: The Aurora Sentinel, http://www.aurorasentinel.com/
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