HomeMy WebLinkAbout20191465.tiffChloe Rempel
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Chloe Rempel
Thursday, April 11, 2019 9:14 AM
Chloe Rempel
RE: Message from RICHARDS,ROBERT (72O9344O8O)
Voicemail of support for Commissioner's opposition to SB-181
Robert Mark Richards
Weld County Resident
(720) 934-4O8O
Chloe A. Rempel
Deputy Clerk to the Board
Weld County
1150 O Street
Greeley, CO 80631
tel: 970-400-4213
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From: Karla Ford
Sent: Wednesday, April 1O, 2O19 7:46 AM
To: Commissioners <COMMISSIONERS@co.weld.co.us>
Cc: Chloe Rempel <crempel@weldgov.com>
Subject: FW: Message from RICHARDS,ROBERT (72O9344O8O)
Karla Ford X
Office Manager, Board of Weld County Commissioners
1150 O Street, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, Colorado 80632
:: 970.336-7204 :: kfordna weldgov.com :: www.weldgov.com ::
My working hours are Monday -Thursday 7:00a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Friday 7:00a.m. - Noon
4/22/►c
2019-1465
6
TOWN OF LASALLE, COLORADO
RESOLUTION A - 2019
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING SENATE BILL 19-181
SETBACK REQUIREMENTS FOR OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT
WHEREAS, Colorado is a major energy -producing state, ranked 5th in the nation of
natural gas production and 7th in the nation in oil production, according to U.S. governmental data;
and
WHEREAS, Colorado is widely recognized as a national leader in developing health,
safety and environmental protections: and
WHEREAS, oil and natural gas development is a critical sector of the Colorado economy,
supporting jobs and supplying locally produced and affordable energy to household and businesses
across Colorado; and
WHEREAS, a study conducted by the REMI Partnership, a coalition of state business
groups, found the setback initiative would eliminate over $26 billion annually in state Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), more than $1 billion in state and local tax revenue per year and almost
150,000 Colorado jobs by 2030: and
WHEREAS, more than 232,000 jobs in Colorado are supported by oil and natural gas
development, equivalent to 6.5 percent of the total employment in the state, according to a 2017
study by globally renowned accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. The same study states oil
and natural gas development in Colorado supports $31 billion in economic activity, which is
almost 10 percent of the state economy; and
WHEREAS, the loss of Colorado's energy sector would devastate the state economy,
cripple state and local budgets and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of working
families including those in LaSalle; and
WHEREAS, it would likely have the effect of imposing an immediate statewide
moratorium on oil and gas permitting by giving, for the first time ever, a political appointee
(Director of the COGCC) of the governor unprecedented, unilateral control to stop oil and natural
gas development at his or her discretion the moment SB-1 81 becomes law; and
WHEREAS, this open-ended requirement will bring oil and natural gas permitting to a
halt with no guarantee it will ever restart, as there is no limit on the number of bills that could be
passed in 2019 that require COGCC rulemakings and no time limit for the COGCC to complete
those rulemakings; and
WHEREAS, legal challenges filed by anti -industry groups could prevent those rules from
becoming effective, allowing the permitting moratorium to continue indefinitely, which in a short
timeframe would shut down future drilling; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 19-181 is a one -size -fits -all, blunt instrument that would create a
de facto ban on oil and gas production, even in communities that embrace responsible energy
development, showing that the proponents of the Proposed Initiative do not support local control
as they claim; and
WHEREAS, this bill removes these elements as factors that could be considered in
regulatory and permitting decisions, which is at odds at how other federal and state oversight
agencies regulate things like air and water. This goes much further than simply putting health and
safety first, as supporters of the bill claim, because it doesn't make technical and economic
considerations secondary -in fact they can't be considered at all, which is counter to broad business
practices throughout our economy; and
WHEREAS, it would give local governments the ability to create larger setbacks, which
could ban oil and natural gas development based on politically tinted and incorrect views about
health and safety, rather than scientific data about health and safety; and
WHEREAS, the bill would give sweeping, subjective new powers to local governments
over the oil and natural gas process. Local restrictions, prohibitions, and unlimited fees could be
justified simply by claiming "nuisance -type effects" or asserting impacts to "cultural resources,"
for example. The bill provides no requirement that local governments demonstrate the capacity
and technical expertise to establish and manage their own oil and gas regulatory programs; and
WHEREAS, the bill would establish that whenever a regulatory conflict exists between a
state and local government, or multiple local governments, or multiple state agencies, the
jurisdiction with the toughest regulations would prevail, even if such regulation is based on politics
rather than scientific data; and
WHEREAS, the bill would remove experts in engineering and geology from the COGCC,
the 9 -member panel that makes oil and gas regulatory decisions in Colorado. Engineering and
geology are the two fundamental disciplines in developing and regulating oil and
natural gas. Without experts in these disciplines at the decision -making level, the COGCC will
have a much harder time determining where oil and gas wells can be located in ways that both
allow energy to be developed and at the same time meet health, safety, welfare, environment and
wildlife standards; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Board of Trustees of the Town of LaSalle,
Colorado, that it hereby expresses its opposition for Senate Bill 19-181.
PASSED AND ADOPTED, SIGNED AND APPROVED at the regular meeting of the
Board of Trustees of the Town of LaSalle, Colorado, held this 12th day of March, 2019.
TOW QF LASALLE, COLORADO
By:
Andrew Martinez - Mayor
—Kim Coleman - Town Clerk
Chloe Rempel
To:
Subject:
Karla Ford
RE: SB-181 - Oil and Gas
From: Diane Rex <bouldervoice@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2019 12:32 PM
To: Karla Ford <kford@weldgov.com>; Mike Freeman <mfreeman@weldgov.com>; Scott James
<siames@weldgov.com>; Barbara Kirkmeyer <bkirkmeyer@weldgov.com>; Sean Conway <sconway@weldgov.com>;
Steve Moreno <smoreno@weldgov.com>
Subject: SB-181
Caution: This email originated from outside of Weld County Government. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
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Dear Weld County Commissioners:
I am a Weld County landowner and a resident of Boulder County. I too am deeply concerned about this bill that is
running through the legislature. I have written several letters today to the Democratic senators and the finance
committee members. I am worried that they will ram this devastating bill through.
In 2013 Weld County held talks about seceding from Colorado to become its own state. That is most likely against
Federal law but I wonder if joining Wyoming would be a better and easier solution.
I have first-hand knowledge of the long-term plans of Jared Polis and his best friend Sonya Lewis, a new representative.
They have spoken openly at parties about their intention to completely eliminate oil and gas production from the state
of Colorado. Everything they are doing know is just the beginning. They have no intention of working fairly with anyone
supporting oil and gas. They will not listen to reason or be swayed.
Now is the time for Weld County and Northeastern Colorado to seriously consider secession or becoming a part of
Wyoming Things are only going to get worse and it is very possible that their blatant plans will succeed. If they succeed it
will be devastating for Weld county, farmers, mineral owners, companies,etc.
Begin talks with Wyoming. It may be easier to join them than to get Congress to agree to acquire a new state. You might
even have to take the secession fight all the way to the Supreme Court but it would be worth it.
I know you will take this warning seriously as Polis' engaging Tim Wirth, a former Boulderite, to head the energy sector is
another telltale sign that they intend to shut oil and gas down.
Thank you for your time,
Diane Rex
Hello