COGCC interim volunteer Commissioners provide guidance on SB 19-181 implementation
Denver, CO (Feb. 24, 2020) - The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) announced that the Colorado Senate confirmed the volunteer Commissioners appointed by Gov. Jared Polis as part of the implementation of SB 19-181.
"Thank you to members of the Colorado Senate Transportation and Energy Committee and the Colorado Senate for confirming the volunteer members of the COGCC," said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. "I am proud to be part of these Commissioners who have worked hard over the last year and look forward to working with them to move the remaining SB 19-181 rulemakings across the finish line later this spring."
Last year’s bill immediately seated an interim volunteer board on May 17, with members having agricultural, environmental, oil and gas industry, local government, public health, wildlife and technical expertise. These Commissioners are currently serving in terms expiring July 1, 2020, pursuant to C.R.S. § 34-60-104:
- Erin Alene Overturf, JD of Denver, to serve as a member with formal or substantial experience in environmental protection and as a Democrat
- Howard Lawrence Boigon, JD of Denver, to serve as a member with substantial experience in the oil and gas industry and as a Democrat
- Commissioner John August Messner of Gunnison, to serve as a member representing local government and as a member west of the Continental Divide and as a Democrat
- Liane Rachel Jollon of Durango, to serve as a member with formal training or substantial experience in public health and as a member west of the Continental Divide and as an Unaffiliated
- Mark David Hopkins of Broomfield, to serve as a member with technical expertise relevant to the issues considered by the commission and as a Republican
- Pamela Pride Eaton of Boulder, to serve as a member with formal or substantial experience in wildlife protection and as a Democrat
- Brenda Ann Haun of Grover, to serve as a member actively engaged in agriculture or royalty ownership and as an Unaffiliated.
“We thank all the members of the COGCC volunteer interim commission who are serving during this critical time of SB 19-181’s rulemakings,” said COGCC Director Jeff Robbins. “Their experience and dedication to help guide the Commission and rulemaking under the direction of SB 19-181 to be more protective of public health, safety, welfare, wildlife and the environment has helped to form the foundation of our current and future success. We thank them for this and their continued service to all of Colorado.”
Currently, applications are being accepted for COGCC’s first professional commission, which will replace the current all-volunteer commission. As directed by SB 19-181, the COGCC will seat a five member professional commission by July 1, 2020.
The new COGCC professional board will be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. The Professional Commission will include the Executive Directors of both the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Public Health and Environment to serve as ex officio non voting members. The other five volunteer Commissioners include a member with substantial experience in: the oil and gas industry; planning or land use; environmental protection, wildlife protection, or reclamation; public health; and, ability to contribute to the commission's body of expertise that will aid the commission in making sound, balanced decisions.
For more information:
To learn more about the COGCC Commissioners and their bios, visit https://cogcc.state.co.us/about.html#/commissioners
To learn more about COGCC’s Professional Commission, visit SB 19-181: https://cogcc.state.co.us/documents/sb19181/Overview/SB_19_181_Final.pdf.
To apply for the COGCC Professional Commission, complete an application with the Governor’s Office of Boards & Commissions: https://www.colorado.gov/governor/boards-commissions-application
To learn more about COGCC website.