Pipeline Mapping Bill Killed by GOP in Colorado

 

Republicans in the Colorado legislature used a late-night filibuster this week to block an attempt by Democrats to require that all oil and gas producers provide the locations of all their gas lines.

The attempt by Democrats to pass the bill before midnight came as a result of an April house explosion that killed two men in Firestone, Colorado. The 28 Republicans in the House extended debate, arguing the mapping requirement was not needed and would not improve public safety.

The GOP legislators also contended that oil and gas regulators in the state already had ordered safety reviews of Colorado’s 54,000 wells.

 

“The reason this is coming up is that two people are dead in our community,” Democratic Rep. Matt Gray said. But the Republicans countered that homeowners can already find out about wells by using the geographic information system or GIS.

“You’d have to go back to the ’50s to find lines that aren’t mapped out,” said Republican Rep. Phil Covarrubias. “It’s ridiculous to say we don’t know where lines are.”