Fossil Fuel Industry Reps Warn Boulder Leaders

BOULDER, CO -- Two major fossil fuel industry lobbying groups issued a warning to Colorado lawmakers, the Denver Post reports, urging a delay on a new oil and gas bill spearheaded by Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg and House Speaker KC Becker, both of whom represent Boulder districts. The bill seeks to give local governments greater control over fracking by placing greater regulatory weight on risks to public safety and increasing the burden before companies could use controversial "forced pooling" practices to access mineral rights against their owners' will.

The Post reports that statements issued Sunday by the Colorado Petroleum Council and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association urged legislators to delay the bill and engage in future discussion, warning of "grave impacts" if the measure was to move forward as scheduled.

“Our elected leaders can’t be asked to vote on a bill this complicated and this encompassing — and one with such grave impacts — without first a legitimate dialogue. No good can come out of legislation that is revealed on a Friday night and rushed through the legislative process,” wrote COGA president Dan Haley and CPC director Tracee Bentley in the Sunday afternoon statement, according to the Post.

Get the full story from the Denver Post here.

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