Boulder County extends O&G moratorium to July 31

BOULDER — The Boulder County Board of Commissioners has extended the county’s hold on new oil and gas development applications until the end of July.

The county’s previous moratorium was set to close at the end of March. In a statement, the board said it needed more time to finish drafting new rules under the powers granted by Senate Bill 181 and to give residents more time to review them and provide feedback.

The board said the original March 28 deadline to finish writing the rules was “too ambitious.”

“This is an extremely complex issue, and we need the time to do it right,” Commissioner Matt Jones said in a statement.

Boulder County wells produced 75,561 barrels of oil and 1.16 million metric cubic feet of natural gas in 2019, making it the 16th largest producer among Colorado’s counties. According to data from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the county currently has 65 active drilling and location permits.

County staff has rejected 26 applications, and two applications have been withdrawn, since passage in April of Senate Bill 181, a sweeping oil and gas industry reform bill that allowed localities to set stricter regulations than the state.

Several Front Range governments have used those powers to pause review of oil and gas development while they write new rules on emissions or setbacks from population centers, including Adams County and the cities of Superior and Erie.

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