Broomfield To Debate Moratorium On Oil, Gas Development
BROOMFIELD, Colo. (CBS4) - Broomfield city leaders are expected to vote on whether to enact a 5-month moratorium on oil and gas development on Tuesday. That moratorium would impact a current plan to build 139 new horizontal hydraulic fracturing wells near homes.
As many as 1,000 people attended a city council meeting last month where people testified about giving the city more control over oil and gas development.
Tuesday's meeting is expected to be just as spirited as that meeting. The city doesn't expect a vote to come in before midnight.
Denver-based Extraction Oil & Gas, which already has a agreement of understanding with the city of Broomfield, wants to build 139 new wells on four pad sites near the Anthem and Wildgrass neighborhoods.
Last year, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled against long-term fracking bans, but issued no opinion on "marginally shorter" bans. That has created legal ambiguity over whether it is constitutionally acceptable for a local government like Broomfield to enact a 5-month ban on oil and gas production.