Hickenlooper Declares War: State Will Sue Cities Over “Fracking”

[madamesilverspurs]

After more than two years of dismaying conservationists with his relentless promotion (and frequent prevarications) in support of the controversial practice of hydraulic fracture drilling for oil and natural gas, all the while proclaiming the practice's safety, Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper has cut to the bottom line.

And announced that the state will sue any city or town that attempts to ban "fracking" within its borders. CBS4:

Gov. John Hickenlooper says he won’t tolerate cities and towns that ban oil and gas drilling within their borders and he promises to take them to court.

CBS4 Political Specialist Shaun Boyd sat down with the governor, who was blunt. He told Boyd the state will sue any local government that bans hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the drilling technique that uses high-pressure water and chemicals to extract natural gas.

“Nothing makes me less happy then to have to be in a lawsuit with a municipality,” Hickenlooper said…

“The bottom line is, the way we have a split estate in this part of the world – pretty much all of the western United States — someone paid money to buy mineral rights under that land,” Hickenlooper said. “You can’t harvest the mineral rights without doing hydraulic fracturing, which I think we’ve demonstrated again and again can be done safely.”
- See more at: http://coloradopols.com/diary/38512/hickenlooper-declares-war-state-will-sue-cities-over-fracking#sthash.5rHn1bf5.dpuf


http://coloradopols.com/diary/38512/hickenlooper-declares-war-state-will-sue-cities-over-fracking

We are NOT happy.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Things are always thought to be safe until an incident happens.

Like the BP disaster. Exxon Valdez. Shit that can never really be cleaned up. What will happen to the Denver Basin aquifers when fracking fluid and waste water finds its way in?

[kestrel91316]

10. Hickenlooper and his fracking buddies almost certainly own a lot of stock in bottled water companies

Hell, he probably owns a lot of stock in fracking companies and natural gas.

[joeybee12]

2. He's really turning into a POS isn't he?

I really thought he'd be better than that.

[TwilightGardener]

3. I think he accepts political reality in CO. There is no way that

fracking will be curtailed.

[joeybee12]

6. True, but he's so gung-ho about it..

Not simply just being a passive supporter, but all-in.

[denverbill]

8. He's a marginal DLC Democrat at best.

He will very likely veto at least some of the gun restrictions being passed by the legislature as well. He's anti-union, pro-business, anti-environmentalist. Not exactly a progressive hero.

[beveeheart]

11. Ditto!

Very very disappointed in the man.

[Democrats_win]

4. Hickenlooper was laid off by big oil.

Why does he continue to support the economic flash-in-the-pan that laid him off in the 80s? It's stupid to allow big oil to come in and rape our state and then leave when the oil sheiks decide to open the spigots again. We'll be left with health bills in the billions to pay for the sicknesses caused by fracking while fraud street will be left with millions in profits. Hickelooper, get with it, stop siding with big oil!

[ananda]

5. He's a Democrat?

Sheesh

[Floyd_Gondolli]

7. This guy's stock is plummeting in my book

What an asshole.

[kestrel91316]

9. Fracking has TWO purposes:

The first is to do what its promoters claim: to harvest natural gas.

The second is to destroy groundwater quality DELIBERATELY so as to eventually force everyone, including those with well water, to PURCHASE every single gallon they use at drinking water quality prices. And of course those prices will skyrocket as a result of chemical tainting due to fracking.

My guess is the companies who are fracking also own bottled water companies.

[Hard Assets]

12. Making himself a one-term Governor

Please, put your fracked water in your beer, and see how much sales you can get out of it.

I'm ready to primary Hickenlooper out