On January 25, 2016, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission ("COGCC" or "Commission") approved rules for coordinating the work of the COGCC with local jurisdictions when large scale oil and gas facilities are proposed near communities and for facilitating municipal planning. These rules stem from Recommendations No. 17 and 20 of Governor Hickenlooper's Oil and Gas Task Force and will become effective 20 days after they are published in the Colorado Register.
Over 16 months ago, Governor Hickenlooper issued Executive Order B 2014-005 establishing the 21-member Task Force to recommend measures for coordinating state and local regulatory structures to foster responsible energy development. After extensive debate and deliberation, the Task Force made nine recommendations. Two of them required COGCC rulemaking: Recommendation No. 17, which outlined a notice and consultation process between operators and local governments when a large oil and gas facility is proposed in an urban mitigation area; and Recommendation No. 20, which suggested an information sharing process between operators and municipalities to facilitate planning regarding oil and gas development.