August 7, 2014 VOLU M E 31 | I SS UE 6 | 5 0 ¢
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Fracking initiatives dropped Task force plan in the works By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com Voters will not be weighing in on hydraulic fracturing this November after all. Gov. John Hickenlooper and U.S. Rep. Jared Polis announced an eleventh hour deal on Aug. 4 to create a special task force to address issues surrounding fracking — the very day that signatures to put fracking on the November ballot were due for submission to the Secretary of State’s Office. The task force is part of a deal that the two Democrats reached in the days leading up to the announcement that will also end efforts by Polis to place two anti-fracking ballot initiatives on the November ballot. Later in the day, profracking groups said they too will drop their own ballot initiative efforts, suddenly ending what was gearing up to be a ballot box fight that was expected
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis discusses the details of a deal reached with Gov. John Hickenlooper on Aug. 4 concerning fracking and local control initiatives. Photo by Vic Vela to be costly – both in terms of campaign advertising dollars and potentially in political price for other candidates seeking office this fall. The Polis-backed initiatives sought to increase setback requirements for wells and would have also given communities greater control over oil and gas drilling operations. Pro-fracking groups had sought initiatives that could have had economic impacts on communities that ban fracking – the process by which water and chemicals are blasted into the ground to free up trapped oil and gas
underneath. Also as part of the agreement, Hickenlooper said the state would work to end a lawsuit against Longmont over new oil and gas regulations the city adopted two years ago. But the big news is the agreement to pull the ballot measures. Hickenlooper and the oil and gas industry had opposed Polis’ efforts, concerned that the initiatives would be akin to a fracking ban in a state that relies on drilling to feed the economy. And Democrats were concerned that an expen-
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the commission that the governor mentioned, citizens will be on equal footing with the oil and gas industry and will be able to directly negotiate to protect their property rights, home values, and air quality,” Polis said. The 18-member task force would be charged with helping to “minimize land use conflicts that can occur when siting oil and gas facilities near homes, schools, businesses and recreational areas,” according to the governor’s office. The task force would be made up a diverse group of members from across all
Fracking continues on Page 3
ENJOY LIFE
Wheat Ridge woman celebrates 100th birthday WHEAT RIDGE TRANSCRIPT
sive fracking battle would hurt candidates this November, especially Sen. Mark Udall, who is locked in a tight re-election campaign against U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner. But those fears for Democrats now appear to be over as Polis announced he is backing off of his efforts to continue to pursue the initiatives, measures that he had been helping to finance. Polis said during a Capitol press conference that he considers the creation of a task force to be “a victory for the people of Colorado.” “For the first time, with
business fields. Members would include representatives from the industries of oil and gas, conservation, agriculture, home builders and local governments and civic leaders. The task force would make recommendations on fracking issues to the Legislature. Although the agreement had been announced by the governor and Polis, it was still unclear at the time of the press event whether pro-fracking groups would agree to drop their own measures. That question was answered late that evening by Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, who was behind an initiative that would have prohibited communities that ban fracking from collecting revenues that are a part of oil and gas revenue allocation. McNulty said through a press statement that he would suspend his efforts, calling the decision by Polis to drop his initiatives was “an exciting turn of events.” Another pro-fracking initiative, which would have dealt with financial disclosure issues of future ballot measures that deal with energy development, was also dropped. Hickenlooper had cautioned for months that the ballot initiatives could have “draconian” results on an
By Crystal Anderson
canderson@colorado communitymedia.com Audrey Archer celebrated a milestone birthday July 26 when she turned 100, but to her, it was just another day. “Well, it’s just about like any other day,” she said. Today, at a century young, she is full of life and enjoys keeping busy and working hard as the executive secretary for the George T. Sanders Company, 10201 West 49th Ave., a plumbing and heating distribution company. While enjoying life, Archer said she likes to stay busy, and has no plans of quitting. “I may stop working one of these days, I work part time now, and it works out well,” she said, “but I don’t have any plans to right now.” Archer began life in 1914 in Mitchell, South Dakota, where she lived on a ranch with her parents and siblings. From there she moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where she lived for 20 years prior to moving to Colorado with her family. Once here, Archer began to work at George T. Sanders in Wheat Ridge as an accountant
and secretary, and hasn’t stopped since. “She’s a great gal,” said Gary Sanders, owner of the company and Archer’s colleague and friend. “She’s 100 years old and has worked hard all her life, she’s the one who holds the plumbers together in our company and is well-known throughout the industry.” While at the company, Sanders developed relationships with her colleagues and employers, individuals who have learned key skills from her and hold her in high respect. “She’s taught me to be a lot more patient than what I was like in my younger days, and has kept me honest, she has high integrity,” Sanders said. Currently, Archer works part time as the company’s executive secretary. In her spare time, she said she likes to spend time reading, staying active in clubs and just living with her friends and family. “You have to work to the best of your ability, and try to make yourself and others happy,” Archer said. “I’m just a normal person, and I’ve worked hard most of my life, and led a relatively happy life. In my opinion, that’s what life is about, keeping busy, there’s never a shortage of things to do, and just really enjoy life.” And she has.
Gary Sanders, the executive chairman of George T. Sanders and Audrey Archer pose for photo op last December. Courtesy Photo