Some teenagers in Colorado have pulled off a victory over the State when it comes to oil and gas development. The Colorado Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, ruled the state regulators wrongly denied a 2013 rulemaking petition from Earth Guardians. The group of teens, based in Boulder had asked the state to halt oil and gas permitting until regulators could show the development was safe to human health and the environment.
The ruling against the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission calls into question the group’s interpretation of state oil and gas laws that regulators have relied on for years. The Commission had turned aside the petition of Earth Guardians but the Appeals Court said the balancing test actually requires “balanced” development after ensuring health and safety.
The Commission has to reconsider the petition.
One of the teens, 16-year old Xiuhtezcatl Martinez responded by stating she and her friends will continue using the legal system as “a tool for our resistance.” She is also a plaintiff in a federal district court lawsuit in Oregon accusing the federal government of failing to protect them from climate change harms.
