Prop 112 is getting a lot of press in Colorado

[dan_s]

There is BIG MONEY at stake here:

Taxpayers could have to pay for oil and gas made inaccessible by Prop 112 . The Complete Colorado . Opinion. One of the issues surrounding Proposition 112, the ballot measure to increase the setback for oil and gas drilling to 2,500 feet, is the potential that Colorado taxpayers could be on the hook for billions of dollars worth of claims that the state has unconstitutionally taken away the property rights of mineral owners and lessees. Speaking of the fiscal impact to the industry not including impacts to schools, infrastructure and tax revenues, Craig Kaiser, President of PetroValues, an oil and gas tech company that specializes in the valuation of minerals said, “We came up with a dollar amount of $470 billion dollars that will be lost. We calculated what each one of those [potential] individual wells would look like if they were taken away.”

What Proposition 112 — the controversial bid to rein in Colorado oil and gas drilling — would mean for schools . Chalkbeat . The 2,500-foot setback requirement is among the most contentious measures on a lengthy Colorado ballot this year, and perhaps nowhere more so than Weld County, home to nearly half the state’s 55,000 producing wells. The oil-and-gas boom has brought an influx of new residents and good-paying jobs along with concerns about health and safety. Those competing priorities have divided communities. Opponents say the measure amounts to a near ban on drilling, with dire consequences for the state’s economy — and therefore, school budgets. An analysis by one business-affiliated group estimated $7 billion in lost tax revenue by 2030. Particularly at-risk is a state grant program for school construction that’s been a lifesaver for poorer districts. School officials have taken notice. The Rural Schools Alliance, which represents 147 Colorado districts, came out against it, while the boards of many of the suburban districts that have advocated for larger setbacks have remained silent.

Proposition 112 would ban oil and gas . Boulder Daily Camera . Opinion. My husband deals directly in safety regulation for the oil and gas industry, so we know firsthand the importance oil and gas companies place on ensuring the safety of the people who work on oil and gas sites, our neighbors and the environment. Contrary to what many activists will tell you, the families who work in the oil and gas industry won't just say what the company tells them to. We all have to make judgments for ourselves, and we've determined this industry is fundamentally safe, providing the energy we all need for our daily lives. What Proposition 112 is really about is banning oil and gas in Colorado using scare tactics.
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On the last point: The last thing that any upstream or midstream company wants to do is cause pollution by spilling oil & gas. Yes, there are rare accidents that get lots of negative coverage. "Stuff" happens in all industries. The companies do whatever they can to safeguard their production and whatever they can to clean up spills.