DENVER – The energy industry has sued a Denver suburb over its new rules for oil and gas drilling, saying they illegally conflict with state rules.
The Denver Post reported the Colorado Oil and Gas Association and the American Petroleum Institute sued Thornton on Tuesday. City officials said they had no immediate comment.
Thornton’s rules require that new wells be at least 750 feet from homes, compared with 500 feet in state rules. Thornton also set tougher rules on taking some pipelines out of service.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that the state has the primary authority to regulate the industry.
The state adopted rules in 2016, giving local governments the right to consult with energy companies on the location of multiple-well drilling sites, but not the power to regulate the industry.