Loveland enacts emergency fracking ban, Ft. Collins may follow

[madamesilverspurs]

New oil and gas drilling and fracking are now temporarily banned in Loveland and may soon be in Fort Collins as well.

The Loveland City Council Tuesday night passed an emergency nine-month moratorium on new oil and gas operations within city limits as a “time out” allowing the city to update its zoning code and to develop a regulatory process for energy development in the city. The moratorium passed 6-3 after two hours of debate and public comment.

The Fort Collins City Council unanimously gave initial approval to an ordinance that would establish a moratorium of up to 8 months on accepting land-use applications related to oil and gas operations.

...more at link

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120515/NEWS01/305150030


So I guess we'll keep protesting fracking, even though we've been told that waving our signs and bringing information to the public and city councils is a waste of time and effort.

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[madamesilverspurs]

1. Rig at Island Grove drills just a fraction of wells in Greeley city limits

and then, just a few miles east, the city of Greeley embraces fracking.

"Most oil and gas companies stake their claim to the prolific Niobrara shale formation out in the rural grasslands and farmland of Weld County, but Greeley is seeing its fair share of the action — there are about 400 active wells within city limits.

As directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing increase in the county and across the nation, some cities have pushed for more local authority in mitigating and monitoring well activity. But Greeley officials say that for some regulations, the state is better for the job.

A good rule of thumb in Colorado is to assume that most things below the earth’s surface are monitored by the state, while most things above ground can be addressed by the city, said Brad Mueller, Greeley’s director of community development."

...more at link
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20120516/NEWS/705169975/1051&ParentProfile=1001

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[hlthe2b]

2. Gawd.. I hope so... and elsewhere in Colorado as well...

Why the hell we are letting these greedy sociopathic corporatists put our water--our very lives at risk is beyond me.