FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   January 7, 2013   Contact: Barb Halpin, Public Information, Officer, 303-441-1622

 Statement from Boulder County Commissioners on the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s new water testing rule

 Boulder County – Earlier today, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC ) adopted a new rule for groundwater testing that has been deemed one of the weakest in the nation by citizens and environmental advocates:

 “The Boulder County Commissioners are extremely disappointed that the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has decided against putting in place a science-based groundwater protection plan to ensure oil and gas development will not have a detrimental impact to the state’s groundwater resources.

 This is especially true in the Greater Wattenberg Area, a large geographic area that includes parts of eastern Boulder County and is exempted wholesale from the statewide rule, making this significant expanse of land subject only to a cursory testing requirement despite having some of the most intensive drilling activity in the state.

 This type of rulemaking at the state level is a prime example of why local governments should be able to respond directly to their citizens’ concerns and provide for their community’s request for more protection.”

 – BoulderCounty.org –

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