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For years, activists around the country have railed against fracking, but it wasn’t until the 2010 release of “Gasland” (and the infamous sequence of Weld County, CO residents lighting their tap water on fire), that the general public was galvanized in the fight against fracking.

In Colorado, the fight really began to heat up when the City of Longmont introduced Ballot Question 300 in November of 2012, which banned the use of the fracking process to extract oil or gas, as well as the storage of produced frack fluid within city limits. The measure passed by a significant margin of the popular vote, and the very next year, the cities of Fort Collins, Boulder, and Broomfield all passed similar 5-year moratoria to stop fracking within their city limits. The city of Lafayette also passed an indefinite ban on fracking during that same voting period in 2013.

The voters’ choice did not stay for long, however. Shortly after the Longmont Ballot Question 300 was passed, the City of Longmont was sued by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA) and the State of Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to overturn the amendment. It was ruled at the district level that fracking fell under the jurisdiction of the State, and that the City “does not have the authority to prohibit what the state authorizes and permits”, but immediately after the ruling, the case was appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court, meaning the ban would stay in effect until the state ruling was given.

Before the appeal was heard, however, Governor John Hickenlooper was able to negotiate a deal between the oil and gas industry and the anti-fracking environmental groups: 4 controversial ballot measures (2 supported by each side) would be removed from the upcoming state ballot, an 18-member committee would be assembled in order to advise the state government on issues around fracking, and the COGCC would drop its case against the City of Longmont, allowing the fracking ban to remain in effect.

Unfortunately, the fight was not over. In 2016, a lawsuit between COGA and the City of Fort Collins made its way to the Colorado Supreme Court. An excerpt from the court’s decision on that case is as follows: “We conclude that because fracking is a matter of mixed state and local concern, Fort Collins’s fracking moratorium is subject to preemption by state law… Accordingly, we hold that the moratorium is preempted by state law and is, therefore, invalid and unenforceable.”

This was the final nail in the coffin for the fight against fracking on the Front Range. The State Supreme Court had upheld that the city couldn’t ban what the state allowed, and had also explicitly stated that oil and gas development was in the state’s, not the city’s jurisdiction. This decision was quickly applied to the other bans and moratoria in the area, and with a few exceptions (shortly after the decision, Boulder County enacted a 6-month moratorium in order to update its outdated regulations), the verdict was in and fracking was here to stay.

High, fast water is a welcome treat for kayak competitors, but can cause alarm for the safety of citizens watching near the banks of a dangerous creek. A combined team from the Boulder Emergency Squad and Longmont Emergency Unit provided certified swift water rescuers to standby in case someone fell in the creek while watching the national kayak competition in Lyons Colorado.

(Boulder, Colorado). June 13, 2010 -- Expertly trained volunteers from Boulder Emergency Squad-B.E.S. and Longmont Emergency Unit-L.E.U. combined forces this weekend to provide a team of Swift Water rescuers in Lyons Colorado where the 8th Annual Outdoor Games were being held. The games include many fun outdoor sports and the kayaking competition typically attracts great interest. Often with that interest comes crowds standing at the water's edge to catch the exciting in-water kayak action.

Kevin Parker, White Water event coordinator for the games, said "We appreciate the presence of B.E.S. and L.E.U. to ensure a safe and fun event for all participants and spectators". Parker emphasized that there is a lot of peace of mind that the trained
rescuers are on scene.

With this year's early high water run-off, kayakers enjoyed tremendous 'holes', a term used to describe a hydraulic of fast churning water where competition takes place. These expert kayakers of all ages are actually well trained and often able to self-rescue should they encounter any danger. Not so for spectators who line the creek with their kids and pets in tow. That's where the trained volunteer specialists from B.E.S. and L.E.U. bring great value.

B.E.S. Operations Captain Shea Gilliam said "The water is overflowing most Boulder County creek banks and is extremely fast, strong and dangerous to be near" The B.E.S. and L.E.U. team donned full wetsuits, vests, helmets and were equipped with water rescue boards, throw lines and their expertise.

"During this time of year with high water runoff and increased outdoor recreational activities we are all spread pretty thin. It's good to know we can each
call a rescue team we trust to respond appropriately." says Eric Johnson, L.E.U.
Water Group team leader.

During the course of the 3-day event, rope rescue assists were performed by the water rescue team and in each case it was to assist a kayak competitor out of danger.

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About Boulder Emergency Squad: B.E.S. is an all volunteer, non-profit 501c.3 technical rescue team
serving the County of Boulder, Colorado. BES provides a number of technical
rescue services at no charge including underwater dive rescue, swift water
creek rescue, vehicle extrication, low-angle evacuations, animal rescue, wildland
fire fighting, structural fire support, and is a trained staffing resource for
the Boulder County Sheriff's Department. B.E.S. is incorporated since 1964.

Contact: Andrew M. Amalfitano

Public Information Officer

Boulder Emergency Squad
303-443-4081 http://www.bes-rescue.org

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