Larimer County commissioners extend O&G moratorium for five months

FORT COLLINS — The Larimer County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an extension of the county’s temporary ban on new applications for oil and gas operations for the next five months.

The vote taken during the commissioners’ Tuesday afternoon meeting sets the moratorium on new drilling to expire on Sept. 15, while a related halt to new 1041 land-use applications was extended through Dec. 15.

“1041” refers to a portion of Senate Bill 181, the sweeping energy production reforms that were passed into law in the summer of 2019. Under the law, local governments can add stricter regulations on…