L.A. County Divided on Gas, Oil Rules: Pueblo Chieftain

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The Pueblo Chieftain Online - Wednesday April 04, 2001 SERVICES: Contact Us Subscribe Advertising General Advertising Rate Card Web Development About this site Career Opportunities EVENTS ACTIVITIES: State Fair Active Years Summerfest W interfest Guidebook Spring Runoff 2001 Pueblo Zoo FOCUS ON YOUTH Headbone Zone Classroom Chieftain School District 60 School District 70 Pueblo Library District wysiwyg:H86/http: / /www. chieftain.com/wednesday /news /index/article/ 15 not been published in a newspaper. The new draft will be posted sometime next week in the county planning office, library and community centers in Aguilar, Branson and Kim. Adam Keller of Durango, La Plata County planner, spoke about his county's oil and gas regulations, which have been on the books since 1988. He said they generally have been effective although they have generated several lawsuits. He said the oil and gas industry accounts for 15 percent of his county's total property base taxes and 50 percent of-its assessed valuation property tax income. In comparison to Las Animas County's $160 million in total assessed valuation, La Plata County and its 43,000 residents have an assessed valuation of $1.2 billion, Ritz added. Tom Morrissey of Aguilar spoke in favor of the proposed rules. "Some people claim that it isn't appropriate for the county to enact regulations that are more stringent than those enacted by the state," Morrissey said. "Isn't it one of the key roles of local governments to look out for the quality of life of its citizens? If they don't, then who will? Laws enacted at the state and federal level are so watered down by the influence of corporate interests that they do very little to protect the rights or quality of life of citizens." Glenn Moltrer, president of Purgatoire Valley Construction Co., said that the oil and gas companies doing business in Las Animas County - notably Evergreen and Barrett Resources - have been better stewards of the environment than some families who purchased 35 -acre lots in the western part of the county. Weston landowner Ron Leef opposed the rules, saying they would create a huge bureaucracy of paperwork and lead to costly lawsuits such as La Plata County experienced. He did favor creating the liaison position to deal with local land -use disputes. Las Animas County planner Robert Lucero said ittx #. t. 117 1W B Skies Inn A S€1L't7i 2 of 3 4/4/014:21 PM