(1) There is hereby created, in the department of natural resources, the oil and gas conservation commission.
(2) (a) The commission consists of seven members, five of whom shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate. The executive director of the department of natural resources and the executive director of the department of public health and environment, or the executive directors' designees, are ex officio nonvoting members. A majority of the voting commissioners constitutes a quorum for the transaction of its business.
Each appointed commissioner must be a qualified elector of this state. Each appointed commissioner, before entering upon the duties of office, shall take the constitutional oath of office. Excluding the executive directors from consideration, no more than three members of the commission may be members of the same political party. To the extent possible, consistent with this subsection (2), the members shall be appointed taking into account the need for geographical representation of areas of the state with high levels of current or anticipated oil and gas activity or employment. The appointed members of the commission shall devote their entire time to the duties of their offices to the exclusion of any other employment and are entitled to receive compensation as designated by law.
One appointed member must be an individual with substantial experience in the oiland gas industry; one appointed member must have substantial expertise in planning or land use; one appointed member must have formal training or substantial experience in environmental protection, wildlife protection, or reclamation; one appointed member must have professional experience demonstrating an ability to contribute to the commission's body of expertise that will aid the commission in making sound, balanced decisions; and one appointed member must have formal training or substantial experience in public health.
No person may be appointed to serve on the commission or hold the office of commissioner if the person has a conflict of interest with oil and gas development in Colorado.
Examples of conflicts of interest include being registered as a lobbyist at the local or state levels, serving in the general assembly within the prior three years, or serving in an official capacity with an entity that educates or advocates for or against oil and gas activity. This subsection (2)(d) shall be construed reasonably with the objective of disqualifying from the commission any person who might have an immediate conflict of interest or who may not be able to make balanced decisions about oil and gas regulation in Colorado. A person who has worked with or for an energy or environmental entity need not be disqualified if the person's experience shows subject matter knowledge coupled with an ability to render informed, thorough, and balanced decision-making.
Members of the commission shall be appointed for terms of four years each; exceptthat the initial terms of two members are two years. The governor shall designate one member of the commission as chair of the commission. The chair shall delegate roles and responsibilities to commissioners and the director. The governor may at any time remove any appointed member of the commission, and by appointment the governor shall fill any vacancy on the commission. In case one or more vacancies occur on the same day, the governor shall designate the order of filling vacancies.
The commission shall report to the executive director of the department of naturalresources at such times and on such matters as the executive director may require.
Publications of the commission circulated in quantity outside the executive branchare subject to the approval and control of the executive director of the department of natural resources.
This section takes effect on the earlier of July 1, 2020, or the date on which all rulesrequired to be adopted by section 34-60-106 (2.5)(a), (11)(c), and (19) have become effective. The director shall notify the revisor of statutes in writing of the date on which the condition specified in this subsection (5) has occurred by e-mailing the notice to [email protected].
Source: L. 2019: Entire section added, (SB 19-181), ch. 120, p. 509, § 9, effective July 1, 2020.
Editor's note: As of July 1, 2020, the revisor of statutes has not received the notice referred to in subsection (5), therefore this section takes effect July 1, 2020, as set forth in subsection (5).