Colo. workers take aim at proposed oil, gas rules

Oil and gas workers were among the crowd of nearly 2,000 people in Grand Junction on Tuesday for a public hearing on new rules for oil and gas development.

Another public hearing is set for June 23 in Denver.

The rules would implement two laws passed by the Legislature last year to give more weight to public health, wildlife and environmental concerns when making decisions about oil and gas development.

The industry says the rules would dampen companies' interest in Colorado.

Many in the crowd at the Grand Junction convention center echoed those concerns while speaking to members of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Although record natural gas drilling is occurring across the state, development is expanding quickly in western Colorado.

Workers wore stickers saying "Don't rule us out" and "Oil and Gas feeds my family."

The first 20 speakers at the hearing criticized the proposed rules, with each one earning a round of applause from the largely pro-industry group.

"This committee will be pulling food out of the mouths of children," said Doug Chapman, a local Halliburton Co. employee. "You will be pulling money out of the babies' (bank) accounts."

Dave Neslin, acting director of the oil and gas commission, the main regulatory body, acknowledged the industry's importance to western Colorado, which he called the "epicenter of the current energy boom." He added, though, that approval of the new rules won't be based on a "popularity contest."