Fracking Bill Gets Endorsement From Longmont City Council

LONGMONT, CO -- The Longmont City Council voted 6–1 on Tuesday to endorse state Senate Bill 19-181, which seeks to establish greater local control over oil and gas operations, according to the Times-Call. According to a memo written to council by city manager Sandi Seader, the Times-Call reports, the local-control language matches principles that Longmont has long advanced, and "upends the entire body of oil and gas preemption case law since 1992."

In 2016, the state supreme court struck down a voter-approved fracking ban in Longmont, noting that according to Colorado law at the time, the ban interfered with state's regulations and interests in the industry.

Councilwoman Bonnie Findlay, who cast the dissenting vote on Tuesday, noted several tweaks in the bill, such as the make-up of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission membership that she would like to see addressed before offering her endorsement.

Several miles away, across the Weld County Border, the Times-Call reports, the Loveland City Council had the opposite reaction to the proposed legislation. According to the Times-Call, several members said the bill was dictatorial while others described it as an attempt to rid the state of oil and gas operations altogether rather than enhance local control.

According to Colorado Department of Labor and Employment statistics, at the beginning of last year, there were more than 100 times as many oil and gas industry jobs in Weld County than Boulder County.

Get the full story from the Times-Call here.

Do you like this article? Join the Boulder Patch on Facebook! Stay in touch with the news and events that shape Boulder County. Sign up for your free Patch newsletter here.