Proposed changes to oil and gas regulations to be decided in October
Proposed changes to Arapahoe County’s oil and gas regulations will be decided by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in October.
The five-member board will hold a public hearing at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 10 in the East Hearing Room at the Administration Building, 5334 S. Prince St., in Littleton.
The draft rule changes are designed to increase health and safety protections for oil and gas operations within the County and ensure the regulations align with neighboring jurisdictions and industry best practices. The proposed changes include:
- Requiring one-mile setbacks from existing and planned reservoirs;
- Requiring access road standards to match current fire code;
- Requiring alternative emergency access roads for well pads located in areas with only one way in and one way out;
- Providing handwashing supplies for workers at oil and gas sites;
- Allowing natural gas-powered cryptocurrency mining as an accessory use to oil and gas facilities;
- Requiring additional application information, including a project narrative, photo simulations and documentation of floodplain, wetlands and riparian area boundaries.
- Ensuring the operation of oil and gas facilities in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.?
On Aug. 15, the Planning Commission approved of the proposed rule changes following a public hearing.
However, the commission did not recommend approval of a proposed change to allow natural gas-powered cryptocurrency mining. The commission requested additional information and asked County staff to conduct additional research on this type of operation.
This is the first phase of a staff review and revision of the regulations. A second phase is scheduled for this fall, and staff may present additional changes to the regulations for consideration. Phase two topics may include financial assurances, air quality monitoring, impact fees and additional setbacks.
The BOCC will host a study session on phase two on Sept. 12. The time and agenda for the session will be posted on Legistar. Study sessions are open to the public and live streamed, but public comment is not taken.
The County approved the current Oil and Gas regulations in November 2021. Since that time, two new sites and four amendments to existing sites have been approved. For more information, visit Arapahoe County Oil and Gas.?
