DENVER- In the wake of the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to overturn an appellate court decision in COGCC v. Martinez, Colorado State Sen. Mike Foote tweeted out following statement: “It is well beyond time for us to protect Coloradans and our clean air and water. I am confident that my colleagues and I will come forward with legislation to do exactly that.”
Sen. Foote and other legislators in the majority party have been vocal opponents of the oil and gas industry in Colorado, and while today’s ruling was a stay of execution for the industry, the fight is far from over. The oil and gas industry is one of the largest employers in Colorado and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of livelihoods across the state.
The forthcoming legislation to which Sen. Foote alluded could dismantle current provisions of the Oil and Gas Act and redirect the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Committee (COGCC) to reprioritize only health and safety to the detriment of all else.
Governor Polis responded to the court’s opinion with his own: “While I’m disappointed by today’s ruling it only highlights the need to work with the Legislature and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to more safely develop our state’s natural resources and protect our citizens from harm.”
“Sen. Foote and Governor Polis need to realize real Coloradans’ livelihoods are at stake here,” said Compass Colorado’s executive director Kelly Maher. “If Governor Polis is prepared to sign Sen. Foote’s sweeping oil and gas changes into law, he should also be prepared to go back on his State of the State promise not to leave Colorado families behind.”
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