Schools gain greater buffer from oil and gas facilities

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Schools gain greater buffer from oil and gas facilities

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Leslie Robinson, chair of Grand Valley Citizens Alliance, heads into the COGCC hearing on December 18.

Today, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) unanimously passed a rule that will require new oil and gas development to be set back 1,000 feet from all outdoor and module school facilities, rather than just from the school building.  This rule closes a loophole that formerly allowed oil and gas activity to occur near school playgrounds and sports fields, as long as it was 1,000 feet from the school building.

“Finally, after three years of effort, the COGCC is responding to the concerns of impacted schools, parents and residents,” said Leslie Robinson, chairwoman of the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance, a local affiliate of Western Colorado Alliance. “We should not put children at risk for a privately owned company’s bottom line. Everyone is a champion when we protect children’s health and safety and we hope that this rule is the beginning of more significant changes in Colorado’s oil and gas industry.”

Robinson was especially pleased to see Garfield County support the inclusion of child care centers in the rule, which the Commissioners had originally opposed. “Children deserve to be protected wherever they learn and play, including in western Colorado. We are glad the Garfield County Commissioners agreed with us in the end.”

“Closing this loophole is a much-needed change, and we’re glad to see increased protections for the health and safety of children across Colorado from dirty and industrial fossil fuel development,” said Sophia Mayott-Guerrero, Energy and Transportation Advocate at Conservation Colorado. “But, it is important to note that this is just one small step forward; we look forward to working with Governor-elect Polis and the legislature to ensure that health and safety of all Coloradans is prioritized when it comes to oil and gas development.”

“It is past time the COGCC consider the health and safety of kids. Implementing a 1,000 ft. setback from all school use areas and child care centers where kids learn and play is the least the COGCC can do,” said Sara Loflin, Executive Director of LOGIC, “It is ridiculous that we have had to fight to get oil and gas sites further away from kids and the places where they learn and play.”

Applying the setback to outside areas where students and teachers, learn, recreate, and work took more than two years to occur, as the state legislature killed multiple bills that would have implemented this important change. As Colorado’s political climate shifts, this rulemaking adds momentum to advancing policies that puts the public’s health, safety, and welfare first while holding the oil and gas industry accountable.

Additional Details

  • Oil and gas operators must be required to consult with local schools and local governments on the boundaries, and
  • New oil and gas operations must be set back at least 1,000 feet from school use areas, as designated by the appropriate school district or school.
  • Oil and gas development puts nearby areas at risk for air pollution from VOCs, benzene, and a host of other toxins, and can expose children to accidents like blowouts, gas leaks, or explosions.
  • Aspen Ridge Preparatory School was closed last year on account of a well venting near the school.
  • In 2017, a high school football game at Northridge High School in Greeley was evacuated on account of a valve failure that caused a methane leak just 600 feet from a football stadium.
  • In 2016, Ursa Resources backed off a proposal to drill within several hundred feet of the Grand Valley High School calling it “not an ‘absolute best project.’”

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From a joint press release with Western Colorado Alliance, Grand Valley Citizens Alliance, LOGIC and Conservation Colorado. For more information, contact:

  • Leslie Robinson, Grand Valley Citizens Alliance, 970-618-0890
  • Emily Hornback, Western Colorado Alliance, 970-256-7650
  • Sara Lofin, League of Oil and Gas Impacted Coloradans, 303-819-6531
  • Jessica Goad, Conservation Colorado, 720-206-4235

See additional press coverage at:

About the author

Emily stepped up as our staff director in 2017, but originally joined our team as a community organizer in 2013. Born and raised on the Western Slope, Emily graduated from Colorado State University and then had the privilege of learning from and working alongside organizers in Central and South America as well as Appalachian coal country. They returned to their home state to protect the land they love and work with fellow Coloradans for a healthy, just and self-reliant future for our rural communities. Emily enjoys organizing, exploring the Colorado Plateau, country music and punk concerts with equal passion.

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