2 Oil & Gas Groups Sue Another Colorado City Over Tight Drilling Regulations
By Stan Bush
THORNTON, Colo. (CBS4) - Two of Colorado's top oil and gas supporters are suing the city of Thornton over new regulations.
The Colorado Oil & Gas Association and the American Petroleum Institute filed a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming rules Thornton's City Council passed in August overreach beyond what state and federal laws have outlined for the industry.
The Thornton rules extent the minimum setback for new wells from existing wells and homes, draw new guidelines for flow lines, and have new instructions for insurance.
The trade groups accuse the city of rushing the new rules and without consulting the industry.
"Those concerns were ignored, making it necessary to challenge Thornton's regulations in court," says COGA CEO Dan Haley in a statement.
The city of Thornton could not comment on the litigation, but are reviewing the complaint.
Thornton Mayor Heidi Williams and another councilor also warned council members that the new regulations could be illegal before they were passed.
Stan Bush is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. His stories can be seen on CBS4 News at 10. Read his bio and follow him on Twitter @StanBushTV.
