CRED: Colorado Initiatives Not the Way to Settle Fracking Debate

Passage of Initiative 88 – one of two initiatives seen as anti-industry –  would have meant that there could be no fracking within 2,000 feet from any occupied building, including homes, schools and hospitals, according to Coloradans for Safe and Clean Energy. Because more than 1,000,000 people live near Colorado’s Front Range, which overlaps with the Wattenberg Formation, it would be next to impossible to drill in the formation while maintaining a distance of 2,000 feet from occupied buildings, Holly said.

“This would effectively ban fracking in the state,” Holly added. 

Voter initiatives are not the way to deal with issues of this kind, Haubert said. Not only can the outcomes of initiatives be long-lasting, but they do not allow for any flexibility. And in Colorado, they are simply not needed, Haubert added.

“Colorado already has environmental regulations often dubbed the ‘best in the nation’ and relies on the input of citizens and expertise from our local governments,” Haubert said. “Every health, safety and economic consideration is already factored into the energy development process, and Colorado places a premium on environmental protection and safety, while ensuring our state’s vital energy industry can continue to operate. Attempting to lock these items up in the state constitution via the ballot was not the proper process.”

Besides requiring passage of another initiative to “undo” any previous initiative that might be passed, the initiative process does not ensure that those who do vote even have the best information available. And, Haubert added, it is simply not true that residents do not already have a big say in energy and environmental issues, despite the misinformation to the contrary.

Decisions about oil and gas drilling are ideally made by the state, not by the federal government, and not by small municipalities within a state that could lead to a “patchwork” of results, with some municipalities voting for, and some voting against, the industry on issues like setbacks from buildings, fracking within municipal boundary lines, and a host of other issues, Haubert added.

Despite a history rich in oil, gas and mining activity, Colorado has been the site of six anti-fracking ballot initiatives in recent months. While the election results were close, they have resulted in bans on fracking within municipal boundary lines of five towns in the state, while in the most recent election, a sixth municipality voted against a ban.


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