COGCC approves weak water testing rule

*Listen to live audio of the COGCC Rulemaking hearings click here, then click on live audio under public announcements.*

As expected, the COGCC approved a limited rule for groundwater sampling and monitoring. Dan Grossman, regional director for the Environmental Defense Fund and a former state lawmaker, called the rule “the worst in the nation adopted thus far.”

In a statement the Environmental Defense Fund said the COGCC’s water testing program falls short in these three aspects.

1. The rule exempts for the entire Greater Wattenberg Area (encompassing parts of Weld, Adams, Boulder, and Larimer counties)—from the statewide program.
2. The rule applies statewide, it arbitrarily caps the number of water sources operators are required to sample within a well radius, allowing companies to “cherry pick” what gets tested.
3. The COGCC program fails to set rules for how groundwater samples are collected and tested.

Read the full statement:  COGCC Adopts Nation’s Weakest Water Testing Program: Huge Exemption for Front Range heightens community concern

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