We need your immediate help to protect our communities and our environment from potentially harmful legislation! A critical situation is unfolding, and your voice as a resident of Western Colorado can make a difference.

Background

On September 26, Representative Lauren Boebert introduced H.R. 6009, a bill that aims to gut the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s oil and gas bonding rule — the same rule we’ve been fighting to get on the books for decades. Not only does this bill eviscerate a critical rule needed to keep our water, air, and communities safe, but its passage would mean oil and gas companies could walk away from their cleanup obligations once they’re done making money off of their wells, sticking communities and taxpayers with the bill for clean up. If you think this is unfair, please take a moment to urge your Congressional delegation to oppose the bill. 

Why It Matters

We’re experiencing an orphaned well crisis in the West as oil and gas operators abandon their wells when the oil runs out. These wells often leak toxic chemicals into the air and ground water, threatening the health of nearby communities. The proposed legislation could strip regulators’ ability to protect our health or responsibly manage our land and resources.

Even if this bill doesn’t pass, there is a looming threat that a similar provision could be added as a rider to a future appropriations bill.

What We Need You to Do

Follow this link to send a message to your Representatives and Senators letting them know that you oppose this bill and any future appropriations riders that threaten our community, the environment, and our hard-earned money.

With so many of our friends in CO-03, I recognize that we cannot ask Rep. Boebert to make these changes directly and expect any changes. Instead, send your statement to me before noon on October 25, 2023, and I will submit your statement to the House Committee. 

Would a landlord rent a house without a cleaning and damage deposit? Would that deposit remain the same as it was in 1960? Certainly not. Similarly, bonding levels must evolve with the times to ensure that taxpayers are not left shouldering the financial burden of reclamation. — Dr. Barbara Vasquez, Western Colorado Alliance Oil and Gas Committee