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July 30, 2014
Tom Compton, Chairman
Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801
Denver, Colorado 80203
Subject: Summary of July 28, 2014, Lunch Meeting at Weld County
Dear Chairman Compton and Commissioners,
As a follow-up to yesterday's lunch meeting we thought it would be useful to memorialize the
discussion and the commitments made by both of our organizations. First, please accept our
gratitude and appreciation for meeting with the Weld County Board of Commissioners. As we
discussed,we believe routinely meeting and having dialogue concerning topics of mutual interest
is in the best interest of all. We look forward to meeting with the Commission later this winter.
During our meeting we discussed three primary topics: Reducing the time it takes to process
injection well permits, public projects, and groundwater monitoring data. I'll address our
understanding of the commitments made related to these topics separately below:
Injection Well Permits: It is our understanding that the Commission will consider allowing the
County to hire a staff person to assist in the processing of injection well permits with the intended
goal of reducing review time. Stuart Ellsworth committed to providing Trevor Jiricek a summary
of the qualifications and needs of the Commission so that we can explore this possibility.
Public Projects: We committed to providing the Commission a menu of potential projects that
could be considered by operators which are otherwise subject to monetary penalties. We will
seek input from municipal leaders, fire chiefs, etc., and forward a list in the coming weeks. The
Commission agreed to continue to encourage operators to consider public projects during the
penalty settlement process. We also discussed the possibility of broadening the scope of public
projects to allow for a wider breadth of eligible projects. In our review of Rule 523.e. (included
below), it appears that the Commission already has the ability to allow for a wide variety of
projects. We would ask that the Commission make a concerted effort to return penalty funds to
the community most affected or nearest to the alleged violation(s)and that a broader spectrum of
projects be considered in the future.
Rule 523.e. Public Projects. In lieu of or in reduction of fine amounts,an AOC may provide for the initiation
of or participation in operator projects which are beneficial to public health,safety and welfare,including the
environment and wildlife resources,and the Commission encourages AOCs which so provide.
Groundwater Monitoring Data: We requested a summary of properties where your staff has
identified anomalies as the result of the Commissions groundwater monitoring efforts. Mike King
committed to discussing with staff and providing a summary.
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CHAIRMAN COMPTON JULY 30, 2014 PAGE 2
We hope that we have accurately summarized the key points of our meeting. If you have any
specific comments or questions related to these topics please direct them to Trevor Jiricek, our
Director of General and Environmental Health Services, at 970-304-6415, X2214. Again, thank
you for meeting with us.
Sincerely,
ARD OF COUN COMMISSIONERS
.ri
Douglas Rademacher, Chair
cc: Mike King, Colorado Division of Natural Resources
Matt Lenore, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Robert Frick, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
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