Drilling: no common ground

 

Vividly illustrating the controversy engendered by energy politics, a dispute continues to rage over drilling on Colorado’s wild and scenic Roan Ridge — and its possible effect on California’s economy.

Colorado’s Democratic Governor Bill Ritter is locked in contention with pro-gas drilling forces that want to open up Colorado’s Roan Ridge to drilling. Americans for American Energy, and its political think-tank, ICF International, have met him full on, with supporting entities on both sides.

 

In June, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management joined the fray, announcing a plan to open some 55,000 acres on the Roan Ridge Plateau to bids for natural gas drilling rights.

Ritter’s office immediately responded with a statement from the governor’s spokesman, Evan Dreyer: “One of the options is to submit a formal protest. That’s the one that seems to be getting the most attention.”

Dreyer also said that Ritter would increase his efforts on behalf of legislation proposed by U.S. Reps. John Salazar and Mark Udall and U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar.

The three lawmakers, all Colorado Democrats, have introduced legislation “that protects the Roan Plateau for future generations of Coloradans to enjoy and provides Colorado with its rightful share of oil and gas leasing revenues,” according to the proposed legislation.

 

Both sides of the controversy have been vocal about the proposed drilling and Ritter’s plans to thwart it.

Denver attorney Neil Levine, formerly with the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara and now in private practice, said, “If you drive west from Denver at night, all you see are the flares on the oil derricks and the gas flares. [Interstate Route] 70 used to be pristine.” As for Roan Ridge, an area “highly favored by hunters and fishermen,” Levine declared flatly, “This is a place you should not drill.”

Americans for American Energy issued a report from ICF International saying that “U.S. consumers would pay up to $32 million more for natural gas nationwide over the next ten years as a result of the Ritter plan.” The report states that proposed limits on drilling “would cause a production slowdown due to longer lead times to gain state permits, months-long limitations on when drilling could occur, and increase in the cost of drilling new wells.” The ICF report says that California would be among the hardest-hit states, along with Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Florida and New York.

 

Sen. Salazar declared, “Protecting our state’s last few remaining wild spaces, maximizing oil and gas leasing revenues from these areas and supporting the communities that surround them need not be at odds. This bill embodies that principle and the concepts outlined by Gov. Ritter last year.”

While opposing sides issued their statements, the BLM announced its plan to call for leasing bids and environmental groups immediately rose to the challenge.

A coalition of environmental groups said it plans to sue the BLM to prevent it from a planned oil and gas lease sale of the Roan sites on Aug. 14.

 

The Colorado Environmental Coalition, Environment Colorado, Rock the Earth and the Roaring Fork Sierra Club Group announced they plan to file a formal protest of the lease sale by the July 30 deadline for doing so. Gov. Ritter said a formal protest continues to be one of the options the state is looking at.

With the BLM declaring its intent to offer the leases, its opponents have said they will not back down.

“Colorado acted in good faith, trusting in the Bush administration’s promises that it would listen to local governments and those most affected by its decisions, but it has been like talking to a brick wall,” Marc Ross, with Colorado-based Rock the Earth, said in a news release.

“Let’s be clear. This is a last resort,” he said of the planned lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the authors of the proposed Salazar-Udall legislation said they hope to get the measure passed before the August lease sale.