In the wake of the tragedy at the Martinez home in Firestone that killed two men and seriously injured a woman and child, and with more and more Colorado communities being subjected to drilling hazards—including spills, fires, explosions, air toxins, ozone pollution, water contamination, heavy truck traffic, and unhealthy noise levels—it’s long past time for the COGCC to fulfill its obligation under Colorado law to prioritize protection of health, safety, and the environment over its mission to foster oil and gas production.
Tell Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) director Matt Lepore and the rest of the Commission not to use taxpayer money to appeal the Martinez ruling and to comply with the agency’s legal mandate to protect the health and safety of Coloradans, first and foremost. The COGCC must suspend oil and gas activity until an independent investigator verifies the public is safe from hazards like the fatal Firestone home explosion.
Please personalize and send this letter calling on the COGCC to take the following actions immediately to restore the public trust:
1) Do NOT appeal the Martinez v. COGCC ruling that the COGCC must prioritize public health, safety, welfare and environment over oil and gas production and assure that the COGCC fully complies with this legal mandate.
2) Order operators to shut down all existing wells until an independent investigator verifies that every well is in full compliance with the recent order to assure the integrity of flowlines from active wells near occupied structures and to cut off flowlines from inactive wells statewide.
3) Suspend new COGCC permitting and drilling on existing permits until an independent review of state rules is conducted to assure they are sufficient to protect public health, safety, welfare and the environment.
Want to do more? Check out the great suggestions and more info below provided by our friend Lauren Swain.
Thank you for helping to keep our communities safe from the hazards of fracking!
Micah Parkin, 350CO Executive Director
*************
|