City council approves extension of moratorium on oil and gas drilling

    COMMERCE CITY — City Council members voted unanimously Jan. 23 to continue a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, within city limits to for oil and gas resources.
    According to the city’s website, the continuance also will allow the city’s oil and gas land use review committee, comprised of residents, industry, interest groups and council members, to continue their work and reach a consensus recommendation on potential changes to the city’s land use development code.
    The moratorium was originally imposed to allow time for the city to address concerns about the impact of fracking on Commerce City water supplies. Residents in Commerce City’s northern range became concerned when Hilcorp Energy began a fracking operation near reunion last year.
    Fracking involves the high-pressure injection of a water-and- sand mixture thousands of feet underground. This mixture sometimes contains trace amounts of proprietary chemicals mixtures that some environmental groups have warned could be hazardous to drinking water supplies.
    The council voted followed weeks of public testimony, which included statements Jan. 30 from both sides of the issue.
    Reunion resident Michael Scanlon said he was fully in support of continuing an oil and gas moratorium in Commerce City.
    “I know there are a number of concerns that a lot us have over there, and there’s a lot of concerns beyond the water, and I’m concerned about the water too,” Scanlon said. “We’re looking at toxic chemicals being trucked down our highways. We’re looking at the possibility of earthquakes. Now I know this is an industry that regularly says – and I don’t mean to demean anyone; I know a lot of folks who work in this industry are good people – and I’m a reasonable guy. I know we need to have jobs, and I like to burn natural gas in my furnace just like anybody. But we’re talking about an industry that says – and they’re on record of saying this, ‘you can put as much pollution in the air that you want, it will have no effect at all’ – we know that’s not true.”
    Councilman Jim Benson said there was a lot of misinformation on the topic of fracking.
    “Even experts can only give an opinion,” Benson said. “But I would tend to rely on the opinions of those people that are experts in their field.”
    Benson said completely stopping fracking operations, might not be an option for Commerce City or any municipality.
    “I don’t think we have to worry about anyone drilling under the refuge,” Benson said, referring to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal east of Commerce City. “It would be illegal. If someone found out about it, they would stop them.”
    Resident Kristi Douglas said she was disappointed in the way the fracking debate has been handled.
    “I want to remind you that you are elected officials,” Douglas told council. “And the people who elected you are your constituents. You swore an oath to serve and protect those constituents. I want to tell you that I was the person who sat at the desk at Councilman Benson’s meeting. And all of the comments from the people who were leaving were that they were furious because they were not allowed to ask questions.”
    Hillcorp also agreed to a voluntary 30-day moratorium on hydraulic fracturing and drilling operations within the city.
    The oil and gas land use review committee will also discuss the potential for a “memorandum of understanding” with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission regarding operational considerations for future oil and gas development.
    
Contact Ben Wiebesiek at 303-659-2522, ext. 206, or email bwiebesiek@metrowestnewspapers.com.