DISQUS

Leslie Robinson · 2 years ago

Too Many Oil and Gas Regs? Don't Make Us Laugh Up Here! I wonder if any of the legislators calling for the delay of energy reform legislation have ever been in oil and gas drilling country on the Western Slope. Have they visited with folks who have been living with gas rigs in their backyards? Have they smelled the whiff of Benzene in the air? Gov. Bill Ritter has.

It is horse-hockey to say that the proposed legislation could adversely affect oil and gas industry production when natural gas prices are still very high and oil and gas companies have invested a lot of resources building the drilling infrastructure in the area.

It's all about profit and any legislation regulating the industry cuts into that profit. The industry is not going to walk away from the biggest land grab since pioneer days and while Cheney is in office, nor are they going to stop drilling in protest of following regs that are implemented in about every state but Colorado.

There are huge gas pipelines being built in NW Colorado tying into the California and Chicago markets. Even more profits are to be made. Who is going to believe that the gas development companies are going to walk away from supplying natural gas to these consumers because Colorado is adding a few cents to the cost of production?

Plus, a little slowdown would be welcomed by most communities overwhelmed by the impacts of this industry.

Apparently, the oil and gas lobbyists have found a handful of legislators willing to pass over the wishes of the many to serve the few.

dukeco1 · 2 years ago

We're an industry joke Very well said, ma'am.

Last week, a nice lady whose husband is a material supplier for the oil and gas industry, told me that Colorado is often the butt of jokes made by some industry guys regarding the pitiful enforcement of our regulations and and how they make a killing here because we don't tax them nearly as much as do our neighbors. She is not the only person from whom I have heard this sort of thing.

The energy industry has to be taught to cooperate. They are not accustomed to doing things the way other industries do. The Grand Valley Citizens Alliance, in working with companies in Garfield county, created a " Community Development Plan" that has been lauded by many public officials, including Senator Ken Salazar. During that process, we discovered that the industrys' idea of planning could simply be described as " OK, here's what we are going to do. Now, the rest of you adjust." Some companies and individuals within the industry see what is wrong with that approach. Most don't.

Craig Meis, Mesa County Commissioner, reportedly said at one time that we in western Colorado should " fall on the knife" for the good of the country. Even if it were, in fact, "good" for the country, I might have a hard time swallowing his rationale. Anyone tuned in to this debate knows we can't drill ourselves to energy independence. Commissioner Meis' livelihood comes, almost exclusively, from industry activity. Perhaps that colors his viewpoint.

It is time the oil and gas industry executives realize their approach has let them down. We welcome the industry to our communities only if they will play by the rules. It is critical that the legislature deliver all of these bills. When the problems associated with energy development ala Dick Cheney and Bill Owens are addressed, lets handle them all, now.

dukeco1 · 2 years ago

A correction I have, in a senior moment, mistakenly attributed the " fall on the knife" comment to commissioner Craig Meis. I apologize to Mr. Meis for the error. The qoute was actually attributed to commissioner Steve Aquafresca. This morning in The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, he denied it vehemently.