Group of Colorado residents want plan to drill for oil under Aurora Reservoir reconsidered
On Tuesday morning the Board of County Commissioners in Arapahoe County agreed to hear from Save The Aurora Reservoir, or "STAR" -- a community group opposing fracking near the Aurora Reservoir and southeast Arapahoe County homes. Members of the group think the county should reconsider approval for a Colorado fracking site they approved more than a year ago.
The Sunlight Long well pad was approved in April 2025 by the county and then approved by the state nearly a year later. STAR feels that the plan has changed enough to warrant another look.
"The whole route has changed. We believe that there be some tank storage and some things that are different as well. We've got some things where we believe some of the measurements and things like that are wrong," said Randy Willard, President of STAR.
The county disagrees and says:
"Arapahoe County and the Board of County Commissioners appreciate the continued advocacy of Save the Aurora Reservoir (STAR) in support of our shared goal: protecting the health, safety, and welfare of county residents. The county has reviewed STAR's supplemental materials and determined there is not sufficient basis to reopen the previously approved sunlight-long facility.
The County and the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) operate under different submittal requirements and regulatory authority, so differences between what's filed with each agency are expected - they don't automatically call the County's approval into question."
It's another setback for the group whose members plan on arguing against two more sites that are being proposed.
Both the operator of the site and the county say the state and county have some of the strongest regulations in the state and nation they plan on adhering to them. Arapahoe County stated:
"If an operator takes action outside the scope of the County's approval, the County will act. That may include a stop-work order, zoning citations, or formal legal action in District Court to compel compliance.
Arapahoe County's land development code for oil and gas is among the strictest in the state, backed by a robust inspection program. We will continue to monitor this project closely as it moves forward, and we remain committed to holding operators accountable to what was approved."
Star says regardless they won't stop fighting for their community.
"The people in STAR are in this because we believe that they're permitting things that they shouldn't be -- that this this whole notion of residential fracking, if you will, is going to maybe make the industry some money, but over time, it's going to cost us a lot," said Willard.
