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Colorado Oil And Gas Fines Bill Killed In Impasse Last Day Of Legislative Session

Oil And Gas Fines Bill Dies In Impasse
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With the snow covered Rocky Mountains in the background, a home stands in front of a pine forest with a drilling rig (Colorado Nabors Rig #573) for natural gas near Rifle, Colorado.

A bill that would have raised the daily mandatory minimum fine for toxic spills by oil and gas companies died in an impasse on the last day of the legislative session.

House Bill 1267 passed the House but was amended by the Senate leading to the creation of Wednesday morning's conference committee by House sponsors to resolve the issue. The Senate, however, rejected the changes made by the committee and the House opted to make no further changes, killing the legislation.

“The attempt is to hold the worst offenders accountable,” said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Mike Foote (D-Lafayette), a former prosecutor. “As someone who’s job has been to impose punishment for the last 10 years, I know that the threat of a maximum fine is meaningless unless the agency has a true intention to impose.”

The bill would have raised the mandatory minimum fine from the current zero-to-$1,000 daily fine to $5,000 per violation per day under the legislation as it originally stood. The maximum daily fine would have been $15,000 for "violations that have a significant adverse impact on public health, safety, or welfare, including the environment and wildlife resources."

Click here to read House Bill 13-1267 in full.

Foote told The Associated Press' Kristen Wyatt that cracking down on oil and gas drillers has been tough.

According to a report by KDVR, Gov. John Hickenlooper's (D) lobbyists had been working to bring the bill to a vote in order to help his administration appeal to environmental groups.

Earlier this month the governor spoke at a FrackingSENSE lecture series at the University of Colorado and argued that the impact of hydraulic fracturing on the environment is not yet based in fact.

"I am constantly attacked now for being in the pocket of oil and gas, or somehow subservient to their philosophy or their wish," Hickenlooper said. "The Quakers have a term called 'fair witness,' someone who comes in and they don't have an ax to grind ... and that is what I try to be."

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Before You Go

How Fracking Transforms Fortunes, Land
(01 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013 photo, a worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Proponents of hydraulic fracturing point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons the process can extract. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, with some critics acknowledging that some fracking operations are far cleaner than others. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(02 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013 photo, a rig drills for natural gas which will eventually be released using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on leased private property outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Once drilling is completed, wells are fractured to allow the flow of gas from deposits typically more than a mile underground. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(03 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013 photo, technicians inside a trailer direct the pressure and mix of water and chemicals pumped into an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. well during hydraulic fracturing, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, raises concern among some that the chemicals used and hydrocarbons released can contaminate groundwater. Industry officials say an absence of documented, widespread problems with fracking proves the process is safe. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(04 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013, photo, a worker uses a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks for a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting open rock with water pumped underground at high pressure. The process typically requires several million gallons of water per well. In western Colorado, Encana says it goes to great lenghts to recycle over 95 percent of the water it uses for fracking to save money and limit use of local water supplies. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(05 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013, photo, workers adjust piping during a short pause in water pumping during a natural gas hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. drilling site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(06 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013 photo, a worker uses a headset and microphone to communicate with coworkers over the din of pump trucks, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by the Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The technique of hydraulic fracturing is used to increase or restore the rate at which fluids, such as petroleum, water, or natural gas can be recovered from subterranean natural reservoirs. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(07 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013 photo, workers tend to a well head during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental hydraulic fracturing occurred in 1947. More than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(08 of13)
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This March 29, 2013 photo shows a typical hydraulic fracturing operation at a site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. In the background, a battery of yellow tanks hold water for the job at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well. Pump trucks are parked in front of the tanks. Workers control the flow of water, sand and chemicals into the well heads, left, from an operations trailer, center far right. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, raises concern among some that the chemicals used and hydrocarbons released can contaminate groundwater. Industry officials say an absence of documented, widespread problems with fracking proves the process is safe. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(09 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013 photo, workers stand atop water tanks while they help keep an eye on water pressure and temperature at a hydraulic fracturing operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947 followed by the first commercially successful applications in 1949. More than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(10 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013 photo, a worker switches well heads during a short pause in the water pumping phase, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Proponents of hydraulic fracturing point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons the process can extract. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, with some critics acknowledging that some fracking operations are far cleaner than others. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(11 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013 photo, a worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," occurs after oil and gas wells are drilled and frequently in between drilling phases. The process uses millions of gallons of water mixed with smaller amounts of fine sand and chemicals to split open oil- and gas-bearing rock often located more than a mile underground. Fracking typically occurs in conjunction with other modern drilling techniques, such as directional drilling. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(12 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013, photo, a worker uses hand signals to communicate with a co-worker over the sound of massive pumps at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Millions of gallons of water are pumped down well holes to split open oil- and gas-bearing formations in the hydraulic fracturing process. Much of the water used at this site was being recycled to save money and avoid wasting precious local water supplies. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
(13 of13)
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In this March 29, 2013 photo, a worker checks a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing operation at a gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting open rock with water, fine sand and lubricants pumped underground at high pressure. Companies typically need several million gallons of water to frack a single well. In western Colorado, Encana says it recycles over 95 percent of the water it uses for fracking to save money and limit use of local water supplies. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) (credit:AP)
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