Adams County Unanimously Approves Temporary Moratorium on New Oil and Gas Permits

Yesterday, Wednesday March 20, 2019, the Board of County Commissioners for Adams County, Colorado (the “Board”) held a special public hearing on whether to impose a temporary ban on local oil and gas permit applications in the wake of Colorado’s Senate Bill 19-181.  Senate Bill 19-181 was passed (with amendment) by the Senate and is currently under consideration by the House.

Following a nearly three hour hearing that included statements given by numerous industry and community stake holders, the Board unanimously adopted a temporary moratorium on new oil and gas permits.  This moratorium, which became effective immediately, lasts for six months and applies to all permits for which applications have not yet been submitted to the Board.  Permit applications already filed with the Board are not affected.

In its resolution, the Board expressed concern with a potential flood of new permit applications and Senate Bill 19-181’s impending changes to local government authority to regulate oil and gas development.  If Senate Bill 19-181 is passed into law this legislative session it is expected to take effect on July 1, 2019.

Click here for the full text of the Board’s resolution (via the agenda).

For more information on Senate Bill 19-181, check out the prior post on this blog by Jim Tartaglia, titled “In The Know: Primer on Colorado’s Senate Bill 181,” which can be found here.