Hickenlooper’s oil task force meets Tuesday to discuss final proposals

DENVER – Gov. John Hickenlooper’s 21-member task force will meet all day Tuesday to discuss a pared down set of policy recommendations that members have crafted.

No vote is expected to take place, though task force members had anticipated doing so at the meeting. Task force members instead are supposed to come to a consensus Friday, when recommendations on improvements to how the state regulates oil and gas operations are due to the state Legislature.

Task force members had proposed 56 recommendations to the state Legislature, but have since narrowed the number of proposals, which they will discuss in further detail Tuesday. They are expected to reach agreement Friday on the proposals they will submit to lawmakers.

The recommendations touch on a variety of matters, including health, state regulatory staffing levels, and land use.

In September, Gov. John Hickenlooper formed the task force, asking it to create recommendations to reduce land-use conflicts related to the proximity of oil and gas facilities near homes, schools, businesses and recreation areas. The task force headed off ballot initiatives that would have increased buffers between oil and gas wells and buildings and one that would have created an environmental bill of rights.

Some local governments have sought more control over oil and gas development, while the Hickenlooper Administration wants to maintain regulatory oversight outlined in state law. Elected officials in Weld County, where companies produce 80 percent of the state’s oil, say authority over oil and gas operations rightly lies with the state.

Tuesday’s meeting takes place between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Colorado Convention Center, meeting rooms 201 and 203.

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