Guardians and many allies called on Colorado Governor Jared Polis today to declare a “timeout” on new fracking in Colorado while the state moves to adopt new rules for protecting public health and the climate from oil and gas extraction.
The call comes in response to two bills Colorado passed in 2019: SB-181, which requires that public health and environment come first when considering oil and gas regulation, and HB-1261, which sets greenhouse reduction goals for Colorado. Although these bills passed, the state is still permitting new oil and gas extraction at near-record levels and continues to let industry undermine public health and the environment.
“SB-181 and HB-1261 promise dramatic improvements in public health, air quality, community safety, and climate. However, new rules to implement SB-181 and HB-1261 are months, if not years, away, leaving Coloradans vulnerable to unchecked oil and gas development,” the groups wrote in their letter to Polis. “We need interim relief.”
Read the press release.
