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Arapahoe County Commission Proposed Amendments to Oil and Gas Regulations Public Comment - 5:30 PM

This Arapahoe County Oil and Gas Regulations Open House is to get residents' comments on proposed amendments to increase regulatory protections related to oil and gas operations within unincorporated Arapahoe County.

This public hearing will be at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds in Exhibit Hall B.

With the state Energy & Carbon Management Commission's conditional approval of the Lowry Ranch Comprehensive Area Plan, Civitas will next look to gain approval from Arapahoe County for each prospective well-pad location.

The Board of County Commissioners has passed more stringent regulations over the past two years, in part because of actions by Save The Aurora Reservoir (STAR), a community group opposing fracking near residential neighborhoods and the Aurora Reservoir, and residents' comments. The County has the power to require even more protections for human health, wildlife, and the environment through procedures including:
  • Air quality monitoring
  • Water sampling and monitoring
  • Fire prevention and mitigation plans
  • Spill and release reporting
  • Noise mitigation
  • Site inspections
  • Financial assurances and fines
The proposed amendments include:
  • Requiring financial assurance of $95,000 for each approved wells on a pad. The cost will be adjusted annually for inflation. This proposal ensures there are sufficient funds to cover the costs of plugging, abandoning and meeting the State’s requirement for site reclamation, which protects the environment and public interest.
  • Requiring air quality monitoring that will identify areas with poor air quality and pollutants responsible for it. This proposal would use air quality sensors and other devices to monitor air quality to protect public health.
  • Creating a County inspection program that would conduct site inspections twice a year at every oil and gas operation within unincorporated Arapahoe County. These inspections will be in addition to inspections done by the state Department of Public Health and Environment and the Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC). The County inspection program would be done through an intergovernmental agreement with the state ECMC.
  • Increasing setbacks from oil and gas facilities for new development. Setbacks would increase from 250 feet to 2,000 feet. Setbacks from a plugged and abandoned oil and gas well that was abandoned in 2014 or later would increase from 150 feet to 250 feet.
  • Prohibiting commercial injection wells for the disposal of wastewater to alleviate the risk of potential leaks and compromising the water table. During oil and gas drilling, operators will inject used, contaminated water from the hydraulic fracturing process into underground wells placed in deep rock formations for disposal—this regulation would prevent this practice.
The proposed amendments will require public hearings by the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners. Check this page for updates and hearing dates, which will be held in the next few months.

You'll find more information on the proposed amendments on the Arapahoe County Amendments  webpage.

For an overview of the how the proposed fracking would affect residents and the process, see Arapahoe County's Oil and Gas Open House  webpage.

Read more about the work of Save the Aurora Reservoir (STAR) on their  website.

In addition, the Arapahoe County Commissioners meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 9:30 AM in-person at 5334 S Prince St in Littleton, in the Administration Building’s East Hearing Room, and online. Meetings are open to the public.

Commission study sessions are held on some Mondays and Tuesdays and are open to the public.

View online by live stream from a link on the Arapahoe County calendar  here.

You'll find upcoming meetings and agendas on their calendar webpage  here
When:
Tuesday, September 3, 2024, 5:30 PM until 7:00 PM
Where:
In-person at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds in Exhibit Hall B and online
25690 E Quincy Ave
Aurora, CO  80016

Additional Info:
Category:
Important Community Event
Registration is not Required
Payment In Full In Advance Only