SUBJECT: General Business
Title
Oil and Gas Policy Statement - Draft Review
Body
DEPARTMENT: Administration
PRESENTER: Farrell Buller, Deputy Town Administrator
TIME ESTIMATE: 30 Minutes
only required for non-consent items
FISCAL INFORMATION: N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Request that Board discuss and provide direction to staff on policy statement
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
At the August 20, 2019 Board of Trustees study session, and in response to the Board’s previous direction, staff shared with the Board a draft policy statement (Attachment 2) on oil and gas development. Staff asked the Board to comment on two specific questions: does this initial draft policy statement reflect the Board’s desires, and does the Board want the policy to be incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan or just used as a statement of the Board to be posted on the Town’s website and used in other communications.
In response to staff’s questions, most Trustees stated they wanted a shorter, more concise policy statement, and they wanted to incorporate the policy into the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The attached revised draft (Attachment 1) is staff’s attempt at crafting a revised policy reflecting the Board’s expressed desire for a more concise statement.
As mentioned at the study session, some neighboring municipalities have policy statements that outline the agency’s position on oil and gas and what the agency is working towards. The following are statements from other agencies:
• “With regard to oil and gas development near the City's populated areas and within the City's boundaries, such powers shall include but not be limited to plenary authority to regulate all aspects of oil and gas development, including land use and all necessary police powers. As such, Broomfield shall condition oil and gas development permits to require oil and gas development to only occur in a manner that does not adversely impact the health, safety, and welfare of Broomfield's residents in their workplaces, their homes, their schools, and public parks in order to protect the public's health, safety, and welfare and to safeguard the environment and wildlife resources.”
• “Recognizing the many challenges facing our community as technological advances in oil and gas exploration and production evolve, Broomfield desires to focus on the health, safety, welfare and environment of our community as our top priority.”
• “Together we can develop regulations which are both good for Colorado’s public health, safety and environment and the future oil and gas operations in our state.”
• “protect families from the unregulated impacts.”
• “proud supporter of the oil and gas industry”
• “Based on public input, it's clear that Boulder County residents continue to be very concerned about the public health and environmental impacts of oil and gas development. The overwhelming majority of our constituents support us taking the time we need to put into place the strongest possible protections allowed under law - and we have acted accordingly.”
• “It's imperative that we take the time needed to explore all of the options made available to us through the passage of SB 181 and that we look for ways to continue to make Boulder County's oil and gas regulations the strongest possible in the protection of our community's health and the environment.”
• “It is critical we protect the people’s health and the environment in Boulder County to the full extent to the law. That is why it is so important that we impose a drilling and fracking moratorium now. New state laws give local governments more power. We need this time to come up with the best, most protective laws we possibly can. We also encourage residents to also stay involved at the state level to strengthen state laws and regulations on fracking wells.”
Staff would appreciate the Board’s direction on the revised draft policy.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Policy Statement (from August 20, 2019 Study Session)
2. Revised Policy for consideration