Northern Colorado Fracking Case Moves to Colorado Supreme Court

When I drive to work in the morning, the flames from local mines dot the horizon.

I always wonder if it's a good idea. I hate to go against something that is making a lot of people a lot of money around here, but mining in general reminds me of surgery.

I think about it this way. How many surgeries do you want to have? Throughout your life, if you could choose, how many surgeries would you like to have?

As few as possible, right? If it's absolutely necessary and can save or enhance someone's life, it's the greatest thing of all time. If it's not necessary, despite how great it is in other situations, you are probably going to steer clear of having holes drilled or cut into your body. Safe to say, if you don't have to have a hole drilled in your body, you'll opt out. Is that correct?

Well, it's possible we should treat the Earth the same way. If we don't have to drill holes into it, maybe we shouldn't.

As a layperson, I don't know the science. As an Earthling, I can feel the logic.

Sides have formed, it's been through elections, and now the practice of fracking is in the appeals process.

The Colorado Supreme Court agreed to hear the City’s appeal of the Larimer County District Court’s 2014 decision striking down the City’s five-year moratorium on oil and gas fracking that the City’s voters approved in 2013. Attached is the Court’s order. This case has been pending on appeal before the Colorado Court of Appeals for several months. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear this appeal in response to the Court of Appeals’ request last month that the Supreme Court instead hear the City’s appeal because of the significant legal issues and public interest in this case.

Deputy City Attorney John Duval, in commenting on the Court’s order, stated: “The Supreme Court’s decision to hear Fort Collins’ appeal is a positive development that will result in a much quicker decision from the courts on the important issues addressed in this appeal.”