Yesterday I was feeling pretty fired up about an article I read about how many Democrats are standing in the way of real change when it comes to fracking and fossil fuels. They don’t seem to feel any urgency all. We cannot wait any longer to act on climate. This past year we’ve seen record rainfall in Houston, record wildfires in California, and record blackout in Puerto Rico.
I mentioned Jared Polis because he hasn’t been supportive of the people’s initiative for 2500 foot setbacks, which will be the most important thing on the ballot to protect people from fracking. Jared commented on my post with an article that he was supporting legislation to underscore the Martinez decision which resulted from my lawsuit against the COGCC.
Here’s the thing though, the Martinez decision is already the law. It requires the state to prioritize health and safety when it comes to fracking. Hickenlooper and the COGCC have proven that this law doesn’t mean much unless this law is enforced. They continue to ignore the decision. How do we know Jared Polis will do more to protect Colorado?
In August 2017 he spoke at an oil and gas industry lunch, promoting “the next generation of and future advances in oil and gas extraction.” He even talked about the need for more pipelines “in terms of being able to move oil and gas, the right kind of infrastructure across our state.” And he told the oil and gas industry that energy in Colorado is “in a great place.”
Anyone who has been paying attention knows that Colorado is not in a great place when it comes to fracking. We’ve had 14 explosions in eight months, about two toxic spills a day, new studies coming out all the time showing links to asthma, leukemia and low birthwieght. The COGCC is broke and can’t afford well inspectors because Colorado has been paying more to the industry in tax refunds than we collect with the severance tax.
It’s a mess and if we don’t have real leadership in the Governor’s office or pass the setback initiative it will only get worse. The problem with Jared is I’m not sure which Jared will show up. Is it the Jared who collected the signatures to get local control and setbacks on the ballot or the Jared who pulled those same initiatives before Coloradans could vote on them? Is it the Jared who supports the Martinez case or the Jared who gives oil and gas a pat on the back and promises to build them more pipelines?
Will the real Jared Polis please stand up?
