CU study: 2,000-foot setbacks would decrease state GDP by $6.4 billion

A 2,000-foot buffer between oil and natural-gas wells and buildings would lead the state to lose 49,000 jobs between 2015 and 2040, according a new University of Colorado-Boulder study.

The study, conducted by the Business Research Division in the Leeds School of Business in partnership with the Common Sense Policy Roundtable, a nonprofit free-enterprise think tank, found that Colorado’s gross domestic product would decline by as much as $6.4 billion annually under the increased setback.

“A 2000-foot setback would significantly impact Colorado’s families,” said Earl Wright, chairman of the Board at Common Sense Policy Roundtable. “The study suggests that an average family…