WASHINGTON In a town hall meeting held over the phone, Colorado and Utah constituents had the opportunity to ask about the future of energy with two representatives.
Reps. Scott Tipton, R-Colo., and Jim Matheson, D-Utah, took questions in a town hall sponsored by the Western Energy Alliance.
During the town hall meeting, they discussed the future of natural gas in the two states as well as regulations in Washington.
A caller from Colorado said the Environmental Protection Agency is like a hammer over your head. In response, both Matheson and Tipton agreed the Environmental Protection Agency often overreaches.
Nobody cares more about the land, water and air than those who live there. People like me who grew up on the Western Slope of Colorado want to protect that in a responsible way, Tipton said.
Gwen Lachelt, the head of the Oil and Gas Accountability Project said, Its a tired refrain from the pro natural-gas and oil industry that you have to relax regulation to spur development.
Lachelt used New Mexico as an example to prove her point citing natural-gas and oil regulations that were passed 2008, which eliminated unlined pits from fracking areas. It also began using closed-loop drilling systems which can eliminate the discharge of drilling wastes on the site.
All the research that were doing about this hearing thats coming up in April is that its saving money, its creating jobs through these closed-drilling systems, and its the best practice, said Lachelt.
In the town hall, Matheson argued fracking should be left to the states.
Hydraulic fracking is currently regulated by states. States are doing this, theyve been doing it for a long time, and theyve been doing it well, Matheson said.
Josh Joswick of the San Juan Citizens Alliance said fracking is not what the real problem is.
Here in our county theyve been fracking for a long time. Theyre not fracking any more because no one is drilling anymore. No one wants to drill for $2.50 gas, said Joswick.
Tipton echoed that sentiment, saying the United States is well positioned to be an exporter for natural gas.
Its not that profitable because we have an abundance of it, said Tipton.
In the bipartisan town hall, the representatives argued natural gas and oil is not a Republican or Democratic issue and both support responsible development.
Kelcie Pegher is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Durango Herald. Reach her at [email protected].
