County Proposing Further Amendments To Its Oil And Gas Regulations

Arapahoe County is proposing further amendments to its oil and gas regulations. The proposed amendments include wildfire protections, increased setbacks, additional soil, surface water, and groundwater testing, and an air quality program.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Arapahoe County Administration Building, 5334 S. Prince St., in Littleton. (A previous version of this news item incorrectly listed Lima Plaza in Centennial as the meeting location.) Those who can’t attend in person can participate in the hearing by calling 855-436-3656 and pressing *3 to speak.

The proposed amendments include:

• Requiring oil and gas operations to be 3,000 feet away from existing and planned reservoirs when downgradient conditions can be demonstrated;
• Increasing setbacks from occupied structures, platted lots, outside activity areas and water bodies;
• Including wildland urban interface protections determined necessary by the fire district;
• Requiring soil contamination testing for any incidents where fluids move off a well pad. This includes a remediation plan if testing reveals contaminants are present off the well pad;
• Requiring the creation of groundwater and surface water quality plans, which provide additional water testing beyond state requirements;
• Developing an air quality mitigation plan. This includes air quality monitoring beyond state requirements with additional monitoring stations and increased leak detection monitoring, plus County notification should a test result exceed air quality standards. Monitoring to be conducted by an independent third-party consultant, paid for by the operator;
• Requiring continuous noise monitoring by an independent third-party consultant, paid for by the operator.

The agenda and additional information of the proposed amendments are available in Legistar.

The Board of County Commissioners will take up these amendments during a public hearing set for 9:30 a.m. Nov. 14 in the East Hearing Room within the Administration Building, 5334 S. Prince St., in Littleton.

A month ago, the Board of County Commissioners approved amendments to the oil and gas regulations, which included a one-mile setback from existing and planned reservoirs unless downgradient conditions can be demonstrated, requiring access roads that comply with fire code and requiring handwashing supplies for workers at oil and gas sites.

For more information, visit www.arapahoeco.gov/oilandgas.