LOGIC 2016 Voter Guide: Weld County Commissioner Race Responses

Transcription

1 LOGIC 2016 Voter Guide: Weld County Commissioner Race Responses Question 1: What role should counties, municipalities, local governments, and the state have in regulating oil and gas facilities? The role of all government is to advocate for the people, it is the reason we have communities, counties, states and nations. Advocacy of the majority opinion then is the role of all governmental bodies, and attempts to quell the voice of the people are counter to all democratic principals. The role then is to stimulate and gather the opinions of the people and act accordingly, if the will of the people dictates that a siting is not in harmony with the community, county, state or nation, then that siting should not be allowed. Question 2: What role should counties, municipalities, local governments, and the state have in approving large-scale oil and gas facilities in urban areas? If an urban area is predefined as an industrial area, and production facility are in line with other pre-existing industrial activities, and most importantly if the facility is tolerated by the people then the facility should be allowed. However, if all these conditions are not met then the facility should not be thus sited.

2 Question 3: What role or rights should surface owners have when it comes to siting oil and gas facilities in or near their neighborhoods? The right of one voice per person, just like the rest of us. The ownership of property is not an enhancement of rights, neither is ownership of mineral rights. I don't have an inalienable right to site a nuclear power plant in my back-yard, neither do I have some divine right to demand the extraction of my mineral wealth. Question 4: What role should counties, the state, and federal agencies take in regulating air emissions at oil and gas facilities?

3 The EPA should be policing and enforcing the Clean Air and Clean Water regs on the books, no Halliburton loophole. The State should be policing and enforcing a higher standard of requirements, and the county yet higher, and municipalities should have a zero tolerance policy. And fines should be accessed accordingly. The Industry wants to be viewed as stewards of the environment, time to pay the piper. Question 5: What role should counties, the state, and federal agencies take in reducing natural gas and methane waste at oil and gas facilities? The EPA should be policing and enforcing the Clean Air and Clean Water regs on the books, no Halliburton loophole. The State should be policing and enforcing a higher standard of requirements, and the county yet higher, and municipalities should have a zero tolerance policy. And fines should be accessed accordingly. The Industry wants to be viewed as stewards of the environment, time to pay the piper. Question 6: When it comes to siting and regulating oil and gas, how should the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and local governments be working together?

4 COGCC needs to become the regulatory agency it thinks it is, the dual role of cheerleader/regulators is not working. If the role of the COGCC was corrected there would not be the conflict between local/state and the cooperation would be much smoother. We need to work past a conflict resolution model to a symbiosis model. The end goal of ALL governmental agencies must be directed by the will of the people, it is the fount of their authority and our constitutions affirm that it is to this will that they remain accountable. Question 7: What changes, if any, would you like to see in how oil and gas is regulated in Colorado? COGCC needs to become the regulatory agency it thinks it is, the dual role of cheerleader/regulators is not working. If the role of the COGCC was corrected there would not be the conflict between local/state and the cooperation would be much smoother. We need to work past a conflict resolution model to a symbiosis model. The end goal of ALL governmental agencies must be directed by the will of the people, it is the fount of their authority and our constitutions affirm that it is to this will that they remain accountable.

5 Question 8: Do you have active oil and gas wells in your district? How often do you hear from your constituency regarding oil and gas issues? Weld county Dist. 1 has more gas and oil wells than carter has pills. In the largely agricultural district the money from royalties and surface rents is truly a make or break issue for some folks, but there exists a lot of concern over the aspects of the industry that are not so nice, earthquakes, tank explosions, sudden death, spills, strong arm tactics by the industry and the list goes on. I hear it frequently, possibly because I'm the Chair of Weld Air and Water, but I think more likely because I listen. Question 9: What reporting, if any, would you want to see in place at oil and gas sites regarding air and water pollution? Who should be responsible for gathering the information? Ideally 24hr, real-time, logged: air, infrared visual and spillage. With public access to the data. The COGCC should be the collector as well as the enforcer.

6 Question 10: How should information regarding new oil and gas development be relayed to the public? It should be available and easy to access via the COGCC's website and updated real time. Then it should be publicized in the publication used for public notices in a timely fashion. The COGCC wants to be viewed as a regulatory agency, this is merely due diligence on the part of a publicly funded agency. Question 11: How should information regarding regulatory violations noise, air, water pollution be relayed to the public? It should be available and easy to access via the COGCC's website and updated real time. Then it should be publicized in the publication used for public notices in a timely fashion. The COGCC wants to be viewed as a regulatory agency, this is merely due diligence on the part of a publicly funded agency.

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