WHAT YOU CAN DO

UPCOMING EVENTS

! Arapahoe County Public Works & Development Open House !


Saturday, June 21, 2023
4:30pm-7:30pm

Arapahoe County Fairgrounds

25690 E. Quincy Ave.

Aurora, CO  80016

Open House to learn about the Phase 1 amendments to the County’s oil and gas regulations.  Additional oil and gas rules will be drafted for Phase 2 amendments later this year.

The draft amendment includes the following topics:


The full text of the draft Phase 1 rules, within the existing rules, are posted on the County’s Oil & Gas webpage at www.arapahoegov.com/oilandgas.

Join us on Wednesday, June 21st for the opportunity to voice your concerns about the drafted oil and gas rules!  


ACTION ITEMS

COGCC PRELIMINARY PUBLIC COMMENT

Because members of the public have been very vocal in expressing concerns about the Lowry Ranch Comprehensive Area Plan (CAP) drilling plan, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has done something unusual: A preliminary public comment period! This speaks volumes to the energy that all of you have put into this effort to make the local community perspective heard.

Caveat: the preliminary comments will be separate from the formal public comments, which will happen later. Please use our written comments portal so your comment can be submitted on your behalf both during the preliminary comment opportunity AND during the future official 60-day public comment period. That way, if life happens and affects your capacity to engage, you can count on your comments also being entered during the formal public comment period. (You can still submit additional comments during the formal public comment period.) 

Here is a comments guidance document containing talking points, ideas, and information for comments.

PAST EVENTS

Thanks to an amazing turnout on March 28, the Arapahoe County Commission is continuing the public hearing on Tuesday, April 11. On that day, you can attend in-person or by phone and make comments. Through that date, you can also submit comments by email. 

On March 28, the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing to approve or deny a moratorium for up to six months on accepting any applications for a Use by Special Review for an oil and gas facility. The request comes after a review of the first full year of recently approved Oil and Gas Regulations

To better align with neighboring municipal jurisdictions and industry best practices, Public Works and Development Planning staff are proposing a moratorium up to six months on accepting any application for a Use by Special Review approval for an oil and gas facility. The moratorium would pause any new submittals and allow time to develop appropriate amendments to further protect public health, safety, welfare, and the environment.

Agendas and times of the BOCC sessions are posted here. A BOCC study session is scheduled for April 10.

! A public hearing for the proposed moratorium is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. March 28, 2023, in the Arapahoe County Administration Building, East Hearing Room, 5334 S Prince St., Littleton, 80120. The hearing will include time for public comment, which can be done in person or via telephone. !

HB23-1294 Pollution Protection Measures could directly affect the Lowry Ranch fracking project ! 

Last week, a powerful bill was introduced to address the dangerous ozone problem in our state. It's high time we take action to improve our laws and protect our communities from this harmful pollutant.

HB23-1294 “Pollution Protection Measures” will prioritize assessing and addressing the air quality impacts of permitting new sources of pollution in our communities, especially oil and gas wells. Further, this bill will ensure that the various state agencies that address oil and gas and air quality will communicate with each other, sharing vital data between siloes. Lastly, this bill will increase and improve public engagement in the permitting process, ensuring the state takes the necessary precautions to include community input in decisions that affect our health and wellbeing. Factsheet about HB23-1294 here

But Governor Polis has already gone so far as to recommend his own, weaker policy in order to distract legislators from this important bill. And he is threatening to veto HB23-1294.

This week at the Capitol, we need all the help we can get to encourage our legislators to hold firm and to pass this important policy! Take these actions:

ACTION #1: Email your state legislators now to protect our health and stand up against big polluting industries including oil & gas


Send one-click letter to legislators


ACTION #2: Show up this Friday, April 21 to stand up to Jared Polis and his attempts to leave our communities vulnerable to oil and gas pollution! We will be joining forces with Cultivando for the Our Health > Cheap Gasoline rally! 

See you at the rally! Colorado Rising 

AURORA WARD VI TOWN MEETING

What: Aurora Ward VI Town Meeting with Council Member Francoise Bergan 

When: Thursday, February 2, 6-8 pm 

Where: CAPSTC (City of Aurora Public Safety Training Center), 25950 East Quincy Avenue, Aurora 

Who: General Public, including residents of Ward VI (Southeast Aurora)

Why: 

SOUTHEAST AURORA COMMUNITY FORUM

What: Community Forum

When: Thursday, February 2, 6-8 pm 

Where: Tallyn's Reach Library, Aurora 

Who: General Public, especially residents of neighborhoods in Lowry Ranch CAP area 

Why: