Oil, gas industry groups to rally against SB19-181

GREELEY — Two days after Colorado State Senators approved a bill that could overhaul the way oil and gas operations are regulated in the state, two major industry groups are hosting a pair of rallies Friday in opposition to SB19-181 as it moves to the House.

The Colorado Petroleum Council and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association are holding “Rural Coloradans Count: One Voice Against Senate Bill 181” rallies in Greeley and Grand Junction. The Greeley rally starts at 1 p.m. at the Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce, 902 Seventh Ave., and the Grand Junction event is set for 11 a.m. at UTE Water, 2190 H 1/4 Rd.

SB19-181 would, if passed and signed into law, shift the makeup and mission of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from a group tasked with fostering oil and gas development to a group focused on regulating the industry. The bill would also give local government more power to enforce land-use and zoning rules and beef up restrictions on forced pooling.

Opposition groups, including the Colorado Petroleum Council and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, claim the bill will cripple Colorado’s oil and gas industry, hurt the state’s economy, eliminate thousands of jobs, and reduce tax revenues.

on Facebook on LinkedIn