In Colorado, the issue of hydraulic fracturing is being addressed at the state and local level. Here are just a few of the many components that comprise the current local impacts of hydraulic fracturing in Colorado:
- There are more than 53,000 active wells in Colorado, many of which are located in the northwest region of the state, causing some communities to try to limit production growth.
- The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) was formed to ensure that future development takes health, safety, and environmental issues into account.
- Community leaders in Longmont and Ft. Collins, Colo., have pushed forward on an effort to use localized authority and state regulations to limit the reaches of this form of energy extraction.
- In May 2016, the Colorado State Supreme Court rejected an all out ban on fracking that was specifically tied to localized zoning.
- In Denver, key issues are being debated around hydraulic fracturing at the state level, including environmental and public safety protections.