Limits on oil and gas probably won't be on Colorado ballot

DENVER (AP) — Coloradans probably won't get a chance to vote on whether to impose tougher restrictions on the oil and gas industry in November because two proposed ballot measures failed to get enough signatures to make the ballot, the state's top election official said Monday.

The announcement by Secretary of State Wayne Williams was another setback for activists who want to keep drilling rigs and other facilities — especially those involved in hydraulic fracturing — farther from houses and schools.

It's a contentious issue in Colorado, where oil and gas fields sometimes overlap fast-growing cities.

Colorado is the nation's No. 7 energy-producing state, and the stakes were high enough that an industry-backed committee collected $13.4 million this year to defeat the issues, state records show.

One proposal would have required new wells to be at least 2,500 feet from homes and schools. The current requirement is usually 1,000 feet.

(Source: www.pennenergy.com)