Contacts:
Bobbie Mooney, 350 Colorado, bobbie@350Colorado.org, 303-601-5645
Lauren Swain, PSR (Physicians for Social Responsibility) Colorado, coordinator@psrcolorado.org, 303-887-5951
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On Monday July 29, 2024, 34 Colorado environmental groups signed on to an open letter to Gov. Jared Polis asking him to publicly oppose the Lowry Ranch Comprehensive Area Plan, Civitas Resources’ proposal to drill up to 166 oil and gas wells on State Land Board property near disproportionately impacted Aurora communities in the EPA designated severe ozone nonattainment area. The CAP is under final review by the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) at public hearings being held tomorrow, July 30 and Friday, August 2.
The groups’ letter to Gov. Polis specifically addresses the following areas of concern:
1) The unacceptable increase in ozone precursors and other hazardous air pollutants that would be introduced into the EPA-designated severe ozone nonattainment area by drilling over 150 new wells on State Land Board property at Lowry Ranch.
2) Elevated health and safety risks and impacts affecting disproportionately impacted communities on the north side, and 13 schools, thousands of homes, and the Aurora Reservoir recreational area in the central and southern parts of the CAP.
2) The incomplete status of the state’s Cumulative Impacts rulemaking mandated by the 2019 oil and gas reform bill, SB19-181.
3) Persistent deficiencies in Civitas’ application, including a lack of wildfire prevention planning, seismicity evaluations, and inadequate cumulative impact assessment and wildlife protection provisions.
4) Well-documented local opposition to the project.
In making the case for denial of the CAP and individual drilling permits in the CAP area, the open letter refers to U.S. Representative Jason Crow’s stated concerns about disrupting the Lowry Landfill Superfund Site; to comments submitted to the ECMC by local resident, Conrad Huygen – a retired Air Force judge advocate; and to comments made by Arapahoe County Commissioner Jeff Baker.
The signatory groups are:
Black Parents United Foundation, Rachael Lehman, Environmental Justice Director
Broomfield Health and Safety First, Lois Vanderkooi
Citizens Alliance for a Sustainable Englewood, Janice Brown
Citizens for a Healthy Community, Natasha Léger, Executive Director
Clean Energy Action, Leslie Glustrom
Climate Reality NOCO Chapter, Frank Hruby
Colorado Coalition for a Liveable Climate, Kevin Cross, Convener
Colorado Jewish Climate Action, Moshe Kornfeld
Colorado Renewable Energy Society, Becky English
Colorado Rising, Jared Bynum, Climate Justice Coordinator
Community for Sustainable Energy, Fred Kirsch, Director
Conservation Colorado, Paul Sherman, Climate Campaign Manager
Cultivando, Guadalupe A Solís, Director of Environmental Justice Programs
Earthjustice, Rebecca Curry, Colorado Policy Counsel
Earthworks, Andrew Forkes-Gudmundson, Senior Manager for State Policy
Empower Our Future, Paul Culnan, Senior Policy Analyst
Erie Protectors, Christiaan van Woudenberg
Flatiron Meadows O&G Monitoring, Sami Carroll
GreenLatinos, Patricia Garcia-Nelson, Colorado Fossil Fuel Just Transition Advocate
Indivisible Colorado, Elizabeta Stacishin
Jewish Youth Climate Movement Denver Chapter, Noah Shurz
Larimer Alliance, Ed Behan
Lyons Climate Action, Kathleen Sands
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), Chandra Rosenthal, Rocky Mountain Office Director
PSR Colorado – Physicians for Social Responsibility, Lauren Swain, Coordinator
Resilient Denver, Nat Miullo, Retired US EPA civil servant
Safe and Healthy Colorado, Micah Parkin, Board Member
Save EPA, Jeff Hart
Sierra Club Colorado, Margaret Kran-Annexstein, Director
Swift Wings Foundation, Molly Ross
350 Colorado, Bobbie Mooney, Beyond Oil & Gas Coordinator
Together Against Neighborhood Drilling (TAND), Kate Christensen
Together Colorado, Thomas Weiler, Lead Organizer
Tracey Bernett, former Colorado State Representative
Unite North Metro Denver, Fran Aguirre, President