We work to protect landowner rights and human and environmental health in the face of OIL AND GAS development — ensuring that people have a fair say in where and how drilling occurs, and that development is balanced with long-term community interests.
Landowner Rights
Western Colorado has lived with oil and gas development for decades, but new technology lets it happen closer to homes and communities. Across the state, people are being negatively impacted by the predatory oil and gas industry. We work to protect landowner and community rights from the industry development occurring in their backyards.
Western Colorado Alliance is working with impacted residents in Western Colorado. We work in communities like Battlement Mesa, to ensure that drilling is conducted safely away from schools, ranches and homes.
We have also worked diligently to ensure that operators set aside enough money before drilling to clean up their mess after production is finished.
Balanced Use on Public Lands
Western Colorado Alliance is committed to protecting our environment, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, and reducing the harmful impacts of climate changes.
Thousands of wells in Western Colorado are drilled on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. While oil and gas development is part of our public land system, federal agencies prioritize industrial development over other uses.
We work to ensure that public lands are managed for the benefit of all people, not just industry. Our goal is to ensure that when development does happen, it does so only in appropriate places.
We have also worked to ensure that, when oil and gas extraction occurs on our public lands, the leasing process is transparent, and that taxpayers get a fair price for the privilege of drilling on their land.
Oil & Gas Policy Reform
Our Alliance has spent decades working to improve state rules and laws governing oil and gas development. From engaging in state agency rulemakings to working with elected officials at the legislature, we do everything in our power to ensure that people have a voice in permitting processes and that local governments have the right to regulate industry.
Western Colorado Alliance strives to make sure that Colorado enforces statewide regulations that will protect landowners’ rights, public health, and safety, as well as the environment.
Protecting Air Quality & Public Health
Oil and gas development releases dangerous chemicals into the air. Methane is a particularly dangerous and potent greenhouse gas. Western Colorado Alliance members have been working at the state and federal level to implement greater protections from the air pollution that results from oil and gas development.
At the state level, we helped to pass groundbreaking rules to limit methane emissions from oil and gas facilities. We continue to ensure that these protections are upheld and strengthened. The Alliance also supports similar federal efforts from the Bureau of Land Management and the Environmental Protection Agency, protecting the air we breathe and limiting the waste of valuable publicly-owned natural gas resources.
We also advocate for accurately and transparently measuring the air quality around and pollution attributed to oil and gas infrastructure.
We Are Working For...
- Legal standing for neighbors and longer public comment periods.
- High performance standards if drilling is allowed near people.
- Protection for local governments to regulate industry.
- Increase inspection of wells located near populated areas or waterways.
- Increased penalties for rule-breakers, particularly for repeat offenders.
- Comprehensive study of public health impacts (including cumulative impacts).
- Increased protections of Colorado’s water from the oil and gas industry.
- A systematic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry.