Frackers sue Colorado frack-free cities

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Fort Collins and Lafayette are the targets of lawsuits by Colorado frackers, who claim that local bans on fracking within City boundaries violate State laws.
 

The Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA) has filed a lawsuit against Fort Collins and Lafayette. Its claim is that bans on fracking for oil and gas, voted into place by citizens, violate state laws that regulate natural resources.

Fort Collins approved a five-year fracking moratorium within the city boundaries in November, and Lafayette amended its city charter so as to make it illegal to frack for oil and gas.

But according to COGA, the fracking bans are invalid - based on a judgment by the Colorado Supreme Court that fracking cannot be banned by Cities because State law precedes local regulations. It also argues that only the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has the authority to regulate oil and gas wells in the state.

Tisha Schuller, the association's president, said: "It is regrettable and unfortunate that COGA had to take this action. There are over 100,000 families that rely on the oil and gas industry for their livelihoods and these bans effectively stop oil and gas development. With 95 percent of all wells in Colorado hydraulically fractured, any ban on fracking is a ban on oil and gas development."

The authorities in Fort Collins and Lafayette said they had not been notified of any COGA lawsuits.

 

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