Oil and Gas hearing time changed to accommodate extensive interest
Due to extensive public interest, the time for the Board of County Commissioners’ public hearing for proposed changes to Arapahoe County’s oil and gas regulations has been changed to the evening.
The Board of County Commissioners will hold the hearing at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 in the East Hearing Room at the Administration Building, 5334 S. Prince St., in Littleton. Each person seeking to comment on the proposed regulations at the hearing will be limited to three minutes.
The draft rule changes are designed to increase health and safety protections for oil and gas operations within the County and align some of our regulations with rules in neighboring jurisdictions as well as industry best practices. The proposed changes, which also reflect recommendations from the County’s Planning Commission, include:
- Requiring one-mile setbacks from existing and planned reservoirs unless downgradient conditions can be demonstrated, in which case a setback of 3,000 feet may be allowed;
- Building access roads to comply with current fire code;
- Requiring alternative emergency access roads for well pads located in areas with only one way in and one way out, unless emergency responders decide that an alternative access road is not needed;
- Providing handwashing supplies for workers at oil and gas sites;
- 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 recommended approval of the proposed rule changes following a public hearing. The Planning Commission did not recommend approval of a proposed change to allow natural gas-powered cryptocurrency mining. The commission 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 currently underway, where staff will draft additional changes to the regulations for consideration.
Phase two topics will include financial assurances, air quality and leak detection, surface water monitoring, groundwater monitoring, prohibition of oil and gas wastewater injection wells, revised setbacks, wildfire concerns for well pads near the Wildland Urban Interface and a County oil and gas inspection program.
For more information, visit Arapahoe County Oil and Gas.
