The Colorado Court of Appeals heard arguments this week from six teenagers who have filed suit to restrict oil and gas development in the state.
Attorneys for the youths claimed the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s practice of weighing economic benefit against health and environmental impacts of drilling is a violation of state law.
The teens are appealing a lower court ruling that upheld the decisions of the Commission. But a representative of the Colorado Attorney General’s office argued regulators do not have to prioritize public health and the environment above all else.
The appeal focuses on a 2013 petition by Earth Guardians, a Boulder-based group which asked the state to stop permitting more drilling.
