Groundbreaking Anti-Fracking Ballot Initiative Clears Key Hurdle in Colorado

authordefault
on

The citizen-led anti-fracking battles in Colorado ratcheted up a notch May 22 when the Colorado Community Rights Network announced that Ballot Initiative #75, the Community Right Amendment (also known as โ€œRight to Local Self-Governmentโ€), has cleared its final legal hurdle with the Colorado Supreme Court and has the go-ahead to start gathering signatures to get the measure on the Novemberย ballot.

Initiative #75 would give cities and towns the right to regulate or ban outright any for-profit enterprise that threatens the environment or the health, safety or welfare of its citizens. In addition to letting localities regulate drilling as they see fit, it would give citizens the right to ban pursuits such as hazardous waste dumps, factory farms or genetically modified crop farming within their cities’ย borders.

Currently, only the state has the authority to regulate oil and gas drilling in Colorado, but as drilling companies exploit more land for energy production, rigs are springing up next to homes, schools, playgrounds and shopping areas. Citizens are alarmed when they find out they have little power to stopย it.ย 

Historic Measure Would Rein in Corporateย Power

Ballot Initiative #75 is a constitutional amendment that would stop the state from pre-empting local drilling bans. In a nutshell, it would elevate citizens’ rights over corporate rights and would be the first state law of its kind in theย country.

The prospect of the new law has Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper running scared and energy companies gearing up to spend tens of millions of dollars to try to defeat theย initiative.

Hickenlooper is a former petroleum geologist who has sided with energy interests in Colorado’s fracking debate. He hasย sued communitiesย that have enacted local fracking bans, an unpopular action that has earned him the nickname โ€œGovernor Frackenlooper.โ€

Hickenlooper is hoping groups backing Initiative #75 and a slew of other anti-fracking measures will agree to a four-year time-out on their initiative efforts to allow time to work on his compromise legislation. He hopes to push his compromise legislation through a special legislative session. Colorado’s regular legislative session ended in early May, but Hickenlooper is hoping to reconvene state legislators to pass hisย bill.ย 

Governor Tries to Short-Circuit Ballotย Initiatives

Hickenlooper proposes letting local governments impose stricter environmental rules on drilling than state rules and allowing localities to impose โ€œreasonableโ€ fees on energy companies to cover the cost of inspecting and monitoring drilling operations, but his proposal also contains some plums for energy companies. It would stop local governments from banning drilling outright and if localities fail to act upon drilling applications within 180 days, the applications would be deemedย approved.ย 

Despite this, energy industry groups are unhappy with the governor’s proposals and think they give local governments too much control over their operations. The Colorado Petroleum Associationย complainedย thatย Hickenlooper’s legislative proposals would โ€œdrive up the costs of doing business and create disincentives for oil and gas development in theย state.โ€

Proponents of Ballot Initiative #75 say Hickenlooper’s compromise legislation is merely an effort to short-circuit their groundbreaking initiative and keep it from going to a democratic vote of Coloradoย citizens.ย 

Stay tuned for the next episode in Colorado’s frackingย wars.ย 

Photo: Erie Rising via Flickr

authordefault
Admin's short bio, lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Voluptate maxime officiis sed aliquam! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit.

Related Posts

on

His push for more gas development alarms climate change experts amid growing evidence of declining global LNG demand.

His push for more gas development alarms climate change experts amid growing evidence of declining global LNG demand.
on

A pro-Trump, pro-oil oligarchy is being convened by a group backed by the owners of GB News, campaigners say.

A pro-Trump, pro-oil oligarchy is being convened by a group backed by the owners of GB News, campaigners say.
on

Office of Management and Budget General Counsel Mark Paoletta reportedly drafted the memo that took aim at the โ€œgreen new dealโ€ but caused widespread upheaval.

Office of Management and Budget General Counsel Mark Paoletta reportedly drafted the memo that took aim at the โ€œgreen new dealโ€ but caused widespread upheaval.
Analysis
on

Understanding how autocrats and oligarchs capture and consolidate state power.

Understanding how autocrats and oligarchs capture and consolidate state power.