April 16, 2019: Governor Signs SB 19-181

With a youth plaintiff in attendance, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed SB 19-181, a bill “concerning additional welfare protections regarding the conduct of oil and gas operations,” making important amendments to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Act (Act).

Among other important changes to the Act, SB 19-181 made clear that the COGCC must protect public health and the environment from oil and gas development; clarifies that the nonproduction of oil and gas does not constitute “waste;” eliminates the requirement that protections for public health and the environment take into consideration cost-effectiveness and technical feasibility; and gives more control over oil and gas operations to local governments. These amendments reinforced and vindicated the legal arguments made by the youth plaintiffs in Martinez et al., v. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.