On September 1st, a coalition of 30 health, environmental, climate and community groups called on Jared Polis’ Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to protect Coloradans and pause permitting until new financial assurance rules can be adopted. Please add your voice by sending a short e-mail to the commissioners to let them know you also want them to pause new permits and transfers.
The coalition letter, which was signed by the CCLC, is available here. COGCC Commissioner e-addresses are:
- Commissioner Chair Jeff Robbins: jeff.robbins@state.co.us
- Commissioner Bill Gonzalez: bill.gonzalez@state.co.us
- Commissioner Karin McGowan: karin.mcgowan@state.co.us
- Commissioner John Messner: john.messner@state.co.us
- Commissioner Priya Nanjappa: priya.nanjappa@state.co.us
Points you might include in your e-mail are:
- The Commission increased the amount of time that oil and gas companies are allowed to operate in the state without sufficient financial assurances, thereby increasing the risk to Colorado taxpayers.
- According to the think tank Carbon Tracker, Colorado taxpayers could be on the hook for over $8 billion in liabilities without appropriate financial assurances for oil and gas wells. This delay increases the risk of Colorado falling off a financial cliff if permitting and transfers continue before appropriate financial assurances are in place.
- The delay in the rulemaking gives a three month advantage to oil and gas companies to allow them to restructure and transfer assets. This advantage helps the bottom line for the oil and gas executives but not Colorado taxpayers.
- The COGCC needs to put the people of Colorado, its communities and its taxpayer dollars first while developing financial assurance regulations that hold oil and gas companies accountable for the true cost of their mess.
For more background, here’s a great Colorado Sun article about the importance of the financial assurances rulemaking and a Colorado Times Recorder opinion piece from Ramón Cruz, Sierra Club president. Read and share widely!
Kristi Douglas
This is just another example of how our leaders continue to side with big money and dismiss the people by constantly and continuously giving the Hydraulically Fracked Gas and Oil Industry an edge. The Climate Crisis is real and yet, our Governor expects us to believe there can be a reduction of GHG by increasing fracking. How absurd, and beyond that – how stupid does this man think we are? All we have to do is look out the window to know that things aren’t right and that we’re living in dangerous times. To make matters worse, who knows what’s going on with what we can’t see. Bad air, water, and toxic/dangerous gases and materials travel through the atmosphere and beneath the ground without boundaries. We are already in trouble, and yet so many choose to ignore that fact in the name of greed. Logic should tell you to stop permitting period, but in the absence of logic – at least pause the permits until Financial Assurances Rules with real teeth are put into place.
RICK CASEY
Done!