President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Biden*

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%↓

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

90%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

90%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

(R) Ron Hanks

40%

30%

20%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert

(R) J. Sonnenberg

(R) Ted Harvey

20%↑

15%↑

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Dave Williams

(R) Jeff Crank

(R) Doug Bruce

20%

20%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

90%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) Brittany Pettersen

85%↑

 

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

(R) Janak Joshi

60%↑

40%↑

20%↑

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
January 28, 2016 10:21 AM UTC

Let's Get Cracking, Fracking

  • 2 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols
Fracking near a high school in Greeley, Colorado.
Oil and gas drilling near a high school in Greeley, Colorado, in 2015.

It looks like it’s time to get all fracked up for 2016. From the Denver Post:

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has “failed” to protect homeowners and communities from the impacts of drilling, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis said late Tuesday, leaving the door open to throwing his support behind another citizen-initiated ballot measure this fall.

“I think that setbacks and giving communities a legitimate say on what kind of industrial activity is appropriate in backyards and schoolyards are reasonable solutions that ought to be considered,” Polis said in a statement. “I’m hopeful that all stakeholders can coalesce around a thoughtful plan.”

The leader of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, who has leveled his own criticism of the  new COGCC rules approved Monday, on Wednesday called Polis’ characterization “unfair.”

“To say that communities are not protected is not a fair statement,” COGA CEO Dan Haley said. “Local governments have a strong voice in this process, and the task force recommendations were about giving them an even greater role in oil and gas development.”

If communities really were being protected, we probably wouldn’t be arguing about this, now would we?

All of the COGCC meetings in the world aren’t going to change the fundamental issue here: NOBODY wants to live near an active oil or gas drilling operation. The oil and gas industry can continue to claim that it will bring 10 gajillion jobs to Colorado if only we would let them do what they want, but that’s never going to trump the health and safety concerns of Colorado residents.

The industry promises that it will fight any potential ballot measures in 2016 that might weaken its potential profits, but we continue to have a hard time believing that most Colorado voters would actually oppose efforts to move drilling sites further from residential areas, parks, and schools. Yes, we know that the oil and gas industry will spend millions trying to defeat any potential regulations, but in a Presidential election year, all of those TV ads can easily get lost in the shuffle.

Comments

2 thoughts on “Let’s Get Cracking, Fracking

  1. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has “failed” to protect homeowners and communities from the impacts of drilling, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis said late Tuesday, leaving the door open to throwing his support behind another citizen-initiated ballot measure this fall. 

    There should be no uncertainly as to my clear bias on this issue. Anyone unaware of my long history of involvement in this discussion need only note the level of vituperation in my response to Congressman Polis' tepid comments, which are in Wednesdays' Open Thread. 

    In my experience, the most likely result of "leaving the door open" is, your house will fill up with flies and stray dogs. Enough with the namby-pamby, tip-toeing around the obvious. As Yoda might say, "For what wait you, congressman?" Do you expect a change of heart amongst the oily boys? That will not happen. Are you awaiting new information? There is none forthcoming. Perhaps your words are constrained by nothing more than your knowledge of the verbal and political beating you will inevitably endure if you decide to fully engage with the biggest political bullies in the schoolyard. If not, ask former governor Bill Ritter about that.

    President Obama, after years of being lied to and gamed, finally understood that the Republican Party is wholly and fully intransigent. The oil and gas industry and the Republican Party have been going steady for years. They are of one mind, and their tactics are identical. Of course, there are sold out, corporatist, democrats in sufficient supply to keep congress and the state house under their thumb, but it is the Republican Party that perennially greases the wheels for O&G and, politically and functionally, they are practically indistinguishable. Attempts at negotiation get nowhere because the oil and gas industry has always had enough money to move the goal posts whenever they want.

    Until the price of oil no longer leads the "Money Watch Report" on the morning TV news, we will continue to be captive to the fossilonians and their armies of lawyers and politicians. The only solution is to change public policy to support, as a public need, the de-construction of the "petroleum as transportation fuel" industry, while focusing on an energetic and sustained effort to convert our nation to the clean, green, economic monster we know it can become.

    The people of Colorado will, and should, make the decisions about their health and safety..currently, they do not. The Capitol is the turf of the oily boys and their Armani suits, once again. Governor Frackenlooper will see to it that no one leans on his friends. 

    Let it start here, Congressman Polis. Colorado has lead the nation in the right direction many times. It is time to do it again. Pick up the banner..the people of Colorado will support you…but they need a leader who will unite them.

     

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

150 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!