Tonight Fort Collins City Council will give the final thumbs up or down on a temporary moratorium that would pause city processing of land use applications and permits for oil and gas extraction.
The idea is to give the city time to develop regulations around the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which has raised questions in communities along the Front Range.
Last month, KUNC profiled efforts by Longmont’s city council to regulate oil and gas efforts there. Citizens are now trying to get a ballot measure in front of voters that would ban fracking within city limits.
So far, Fort Collins hasn’t seen applications for well permits within city boundaries. But according to a summary of the issue, there is a producing well nearby one of the city’s Natural Areas.
If passed, Fort Collins’ moratorium would be in effect until February 15, 2013, or until city staff has a chance to study the issue and propose regulations.
KUNC will be at tonight’s meeting. Watch for live tweets and updates.
