The recently formed state oil and gas task force will meet in Durango on Oct. 9 and 10 at the Holiday Inn and Suites, 21636 Highway 160 West.
Gov. John Hickenlooper created the task force to look at oil and gas regulations as an alternative to several pro- and anti-regulation ballot issues that were pulled from the statewide November ballot.
The group is co-chaired by La Plata County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt, who has many years of experience with the Oil and Gas Accountability Project, and Randy Cleveland from XTO Energy.
Also on the 19-member task force are local rancher and longtime industry critic Jim Fitzgerald, and attorney Jeff Robbins, who has worked for the county and is now town attorney for Bayfield.
The local meetings will be from noon to 7 p.m. on Oct. 9 and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Oct. 10. The sessions are open to the public. The public comment period will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 9. Comments will be limited to three minutes per person.
The task force is charged with developing policy and legislative recommendations to improve both state and local regulation of oil and gas development. Task force issues will include well setbacks from occupied structures, noise abatement, dust, traffic management, fees, financial assurances, inspections, and other items.
The full charge and a list of task force appointees is at http://dnr.state.co.us/ogtaskforce.
