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08_08_24amheadlines Greta Kerkhoff
Colorado regulators approve Lowry Ranch drilling plan
The Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission has given a major oil and gas company the go-ahead to drill up to 166 petroleum wells near Aurora Reservoir.
The Commission voted 3 to 1 last night to approve the Comprehensive Area Plan – or CAP – submitted by the oil and gas company Crestone. Prior to Crestone being able to drill, several rounds of local permitting need to be completed and approved.
According to The Denver Post, the approval is contingent on Crestone using electric-powered rigs and equipment at all pad sites. The company must still win regulatory approval from Arapahoe County, but the CAP approval removes a major hurdle.
A local neighborhood group called Save the Aurora Reservoir testified at yesterday’s public hearing. The group has several concerns about the drilling plan, including increased road traffic, noise, seismic activity, disturbance of the Lowry landfill, reservoir contamination and wildfire risk.
The mineral rights on much of the land are owned by the State Land Board. The proceeds on the prospective mineral leases are planned to fund schools.
Wildfire updates
Fires in Larimer, Boulder, Montrose, and Jefferson Counties have charred roughly 15,000 acres since last Monday. They’ve also killed one person, and damaged or destroyed more than 50 buildings.
The Alexander Mountain wildfire in Larimer County is now 91% contained, and has burned nearly 10,000 acres. More favorable firefighting weather conditions today should help crews as they work to fully contain. The cause of the wildfire remains under investigation. Investigators found signs of human activity and multiple lightning strikes near where the fire started.
The Quarry fire that burned more than 500 acres in Jefferson County was 100% contained Wednesday.
Boulder County officials announced Sunday that fire crews had fully contained the Stone Canyon fire but flames could continue to burn in the contained area for days or weeks.
And finally, the Bucktail fire that started last Thursday has burned roughly 4,100 acres of land near Nucla in Montrose County north of Telluride, and was 10% contained as of yesterday.
That’s all according to The Denver Post.
Colorado resort communities propose vacancy tax
A group of Colorado mountain towns are proposing legislation that would enable local governments to ask voters to tax homes that sit vacant for most of the year.
The proposal comes in the wake of affordable housing concerns, as mountain communities see real estate prices skyrocket.
According to The Colorado Sun, as many as 40% of resort town homes are unoccupied by full-time residents.
The Colorado Association of Ski Towns is asking its 28 resort town members to support the agenda.
New minimum wages in Colorado that kick off Jan. 1
A few local Colorado governments will raise their respective minimum wages starting January 1 of 2025.
Colorado’s is tentatively increasing 39 cents, to $14.81. Denver’s rate will jump 52 cents next year, to $18.81 an hour.
As for Boulder County, the rate will increase from $15.69 to $16.57 an hour.
Edgewater in Jefferson County is projected to raise its minimum wage to $16.52, from $15.02.
To calculate increases, Colorado uses the Consumer Price Index – or CPI, which measures the average change in prices paid for a market basket of goods and services.
Because Boulder County and Edgewater adopted the local wage last year, state law gives them leeway to increase the minimum faster than inflation. Each government can increase wages up to $1.75 or 15%, whichever is higher.
