Colorado begins rewriting oil-gas rules with focus on safety

DENVER (AP) — Colorado oil and gas regulators are taking the first steps to implement a new law that makes public health and the environment their top priority.

Proposed guidelines released Friday by the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission don't deal with drilling. Instead, they outline how regulators will handle drilling applications until all the new rules are in place.

That could take months or years. The commission's first hearing under the new law will be May 20 and 21.

Under the old law, the primary job of regulators was to encourage production.

The new law also gives local governments new powers to regulate the location of wells and changes the makeup of the commission to add expertise on safety and the environment.

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed the law Wednesday.