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Colorado Rising drops efforts to put oil, gas restrictions on ballot; Individual supporters vow to press on - The Denver Post

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The group behind a 2018 failed initiative to mandate 2,500-foot setbacks for oil and gas wells is ending its campaign for similar ballot measures this year. But individual supporters say they’re not giving up.

Colorado Rising’s board of directors sent a letter to supporters Wednesday saying that the stay-at-home orders to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus made it impossible to physically collect signatures for the ballot proposals. The restrictions were imposed just as the organization was gearing up its fundraising, according to the letter.

“More importantly, we were not willing to ask any volunteer or paid signature gathers to put their lives on the line to collect signatures,” said the letter signed by Tricia Olson, board chairperson.

However, Anne Lee Foster said Thursday that she and another proponent, Suzanne Spiegel,, submitted the six initiatives that Colorado Rising was backing and have decided against withdrawing them. She said they and other supporters will continue collecting signatures to try to place at least one of the proposals on the November ballot.

“We feel it’s our responsibility to continue to pursue the initiative and  to do our due diligence,” said Foster, who works for Colorado Rising. “We have a dedicated group of people who’ve been working on this issue for a long time.”

Five of the five initiatives would mandate that new oil and gas wells be at least 2,000 feet to 2,500 feet from occupied buildings, waterways and other sensitive areas. A sixth proposal would dramatically increase the bonds companies must pay to ensure well sites are properly shut down and cleaned up.

In 2018, Colorado voters rejected Proposition 112, a measure promoted by Colorado Rising that would have required new wells be at least 2,500 feet from buildings, waterways and other areas.

Joe Salazar, Colorado Rising’s executive director, said he “was totally disappointed” about ending the initiative campaign.

“But we recognize that there are some things you just can’t control, and Mother Nature is one of them,” Salazar said. “It’s responsible to remove ourselves from this so we don’t get anybody sick.”

Supporters need about 124,000 valid signatures from registered voters to win a spot on the ballot.

Diane Schwenke, president and CEO of the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce, is working with  Dave Davia,CEO of the Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, on an initiative to create a state oil and gas commission appointed by a panel of retired judges and divided equally among Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters. The governor now appoints members based on criteria set by statute.

“Those of us who are supportive of the economic benefits of oil and gas thought some of this ballot nonsense would come to and end” after the legislature approved sweeping changes to state regulations in 2019, Schwenke said.

The plan to pursue more restrictions on the industry through the ballot box makes the case for forming an independent board aimed at keeping politics out of regulations, Schwenke said.

People collecting signatures for various ballot measures have had to deal with disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order in May authorizing the secretary of state to create temporary rules allowing signatures for ballot issues to be collected by mail or email due to concerns about the coronavirus.

A coalition of business leaders sued, saying the governor doesn’t have the authority to change how signatures are collected because the requirements are set by the state Constitution.

The rules require that signatures be gathered in person and notarized. A Denver District judge upheld the executive order. Opponents said they’re considering their next step.

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Colorado Rising drops efforts to put oil, gas restrictions on ballot; Individual supporters vow to press on - The Denver Post
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