Annual Energy and Environment Symposium in Rifle Wednesday-Thursday
Energy & Environment Symposium presenters
Chris Akers, State Demography Office economist, Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Jeff Robbins, director, Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission
Scott Atha, senior manager, LNG Marketing, Pembina Pipeline Corp.
Leah Martland, Air Pollution Control Division
Will Marshall, Davis Graham and Stubbs
Chris Davy, Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State
Scott Potter, RBN Energy
Stuart Ellsworth, Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission
Rick Garcia, executive director, Department of Local Affairs
David Jost, DCP Midstream
Christine McKenney, Aurora City Attorney’s Office
Brian Cain, director of public affairs, Extraction Oil & Gas
Lindsey Rider, Caerus Oil and Gas
Roy Rudisill, Weld County
Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
James Cole, Colorado Legislative Services, LLC
Dr. Tami McMullin, toxicologist, CTEH, LLC
Dr. Randall N. Hyer, Center for Risk Communication
Dr. Nathan Perry, Colorado Mesa University
Dale Ratliff, Lewis Bess Williams & Weese P.C.
Natural gas industry leaders from across Colorado will be heading to Rifle for a seventh year this week to discuss what’s changed in the industry in the past year and other topics at the annual Energy and Environment Symposium.
Since last year’s symposium, sponsored by Garfield County and Colorado Mesa University, Proposition 112, which sought to increase the setback between oil and gas operations and schools and other occupied buildings, was shot down by voters.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 181, which seeks to reshape Colorado’s oil and gas industry policies and procedures with an emphasis on public health and safety and more local control, passed the Colorado Legislature, as the industry faces an uncertain future.
The symposium will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at Grand River Health in Rifle.
Topics that will be discussed include the Jordan Cove LNG pipeline, flowline regulation changes by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and the possible impact of SB 181.
Colorado Legislative Services’ owner Jim Cole is among the presenters at the symposium. He is to provide a look into some of the big changes to the industry, and what amendments were added to the bill along the way, according to a news release announcing this week’s event.
Cole has been a consultant and lobbyist in Colorado for over 30 years, covering oil and gas related issues.
He said he hopes to provide some education to local government officials and anyone else who might have questions about what the bill does and its scope.
Other presenters include Colorado Mesa University Professor of Economics Nathan Perry, Ph.D, who is slated to discuss the economic impact the oil and gas industry has had in the Piceance Basin of Northwest Colorado.
“Dr. Perry is presenting what is innovative, highly localized economic research,” said Derek Wager, CMU vice president of Intergovernmental and Community Affairs.
CMU’s David Ludlam said Perry’s assessment is the first of its kind, and will provide a “great and creative tool for local government officials to use.”
The first energy symposium was hosted at the CMU campus in 2013, but was moved to Rifle the following year to provide a field-level experience for those in attendance, according to Ludlam.
Speakers with Caerus Oil and Gas and other local oil and gas companies will be presenting, as well as representatives from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
“With attendees hailing from Boulder to Durango, and Moffat to Las Animas counties, our statewide symposium continues hosting municipal, county and state officials to explore best practices and learn about one of Colorado’s largest and most complicated economic sectors,” Garfield County Commissioner Mike Samson said in the release. “The symposium reaches capacity each year, and we are proud to join CMU in co-hosting regulators, industry and elected and appointed officials from across Colorado.”
Kirby Wynn, oil and gas liaison for Garfield County, said there will be 260 attendees representing 55 local governments this year.
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