Settling their differences: oil companies, muni govt’s

A growing number of Front Range cities say they have seen interest from oil and natural-gas producers willing to follow stricter regulations in exchange for the chance to speed up the review of their drilling permits.

The city of Longmont believes it developed the first accelerated review process in exchange for tighter restrictions on drilling.

These restrictions include how closely a well can be drilled to residential areas; they also address environmental issues.

“We wanted to create some opportunities for operators,” Longmont Senior Planner Brien Schumacher said.

Fort Collins and Boulder County have developed two approaches to granting drilling permits: The “standard” review…