Lawmakers To Roll Colorado Out Oil And Gas Regulations

DENVER, CO – By John Herrick for The Colorado Independent. On April 17, 2017, Erin Martinez’s home exploded. She remembers feeling the house lift from the ground. She remembers being trapped by debris.

Martinez escaped with injuries from the blast, which was caused by a leak in a nearby natural gas line. Her husband and brother, who were working on a hot water heater in the basement of the Firestone home, were killed.

Martinez, who has since recovered and moved into a new home, came to the state Capitol on Thursday to support legislation that would dramatically change how Colorado regulates oil and gas development across the state.

“I have no desires to destroy the industry. Lots of good people depend on this industry for their livelihoods. I respect that,” Martinez, flanked by Democratic lawmakers, county commissioners, and Gov. Jared Polis, told a crowd of mostly staffers and reporters.

“However, with great tragedy should also come great change. Human life should come first,” she said.

Her speech capped off an announcement that Democrats will soon introduce a bill overhauling the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s oversight of the $31-billion industry, among other reforms.

Under the proposed legislation, which will be introduced as soon as Friday, lawmakers say the COGCC will no longer be allowed to promote the industry, a statutory mandate that drilling opponents say conflicts with the commission’s other regulatory obligations. When issuing drilling permits, the commission must make protecting public health, safety and the environment a top priority, lawmakers say. If enacted, it would mark a subtle but significant shift in the agency’s decision-making that for years has been contested in the state courts.

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