On March 5, 2013, the Fort Collins City Council by a vote of 5 to 2 gave final approval to a ban on oil and gas operations, hydraulic fracturing, and some waste storage within city limits. Our prior coverage of this issue in Fort Collins can be found here. Fort Collins is now the second Colorado city to move forward with a hydraulic fracturing ban. Our prior coverage of Longmont, Colorado’s ban and the lawsuits following it can be found here, here, here, and here.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has already stated publicly that Colorado will be left with no choice, and will now sue the city of Fort Collins. According to the Governor, the ban violates the state’s authority over the regulation of oil and gas operations. Last week Governor Hickenlooper warned other cities that similar bans will be meet with legal challenges from the State. The Colorado Oil & Gas Association, which also sued Longmont over its ban, also indicated its belief that Fort Collins’ ban is illegal and stated that it is “evaluating taking legal action.”

Media coverage of the Fort Collins City Council’s vote can be found here, here, and here. This blog will continue to provide updates as to local hydraulic fracturing bans in Colorado and any resulting litigation.