Oil and Gas Changes

Governor John Hickenlooper has unveiled new recommendations related to oil and gas drilling in the wake of a fatal home explosion that killed two men. As Bente Birkeland reports, the measures aren’t enough for some.

The explosion happened in mid-April in Firestone which is about 30 miles north of Denver. The home was 200 feet from an active oil and gas well. Governor Hickenlooper is proposing expanding an existing program that would allow homeowners to track oil and gas pipeline under their property.

“They’re an improvement. It’s better than what we have now so it’s going in the right direction. They still fall short of the transparency that a lot of people want though.” – Mike Foote of LaFayette.

He says he’d prefer an online state map that anyone in the public could use to check for flow lines. The Governor says an online map would have security concerns. Hickenlooper also wants to set up a fund to plug abandoned wells and provide in home methane monitors. I’m BB.