FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Anne Lee Foster: 757-870-5102, anneleefoster@gmail.com
***PRESS RELEASE***
Colorado Rising Files Complaint with COGCC Over Oil and Gas Severance Tax Reporting Failure
DENVER, CO – Today, February 4, 2020, Colorado Rising for Communities, the sister organization to Colorado Rising, submitted a complaint with the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission seeking enforcement and penalties against 316 oil and gas operators for their failure to properly file over 51,000 severance tax reports over a three year period and as required by Colorado law. This comes in response to an audit conducted by the Office of the State Auditor released last week that exposed these massive reporting failures. Millions of dollars of lost state revenues may be at risk because of the oil and gas industry’s illegal activities.
Although Colorado Rising for Communities hopes that the COGCC will hold the 316 oil and gas operators responsible for their illegal conduct, the organization also is prepared to proceed with legal action against these irresponsible oil and gas operators and will seek the maximum amount of penalties, $15,000/day/violation, as allowed by law.
Attorney Joe Salazar, Executive Director of Colorado Rising said, “It does not come as a surprise that the oil and gas industry continuously fails to obey our rules and laws. But, to learn from the State Auditor that there are over 51,000 violations over a 3-year period is simply disgusting. Each day is a violation and this industry needs to be held accountable for its gross misconduct and willful and wanton acts. Colorado Rising is committed to protecting Colorado from the abuses of the oil and gas industry. With this Complaint, we are demanding that the COGCC live up to its statutory responsibilities and the fiscal duty it owes to Coloradans by immediately taking the strongest action possible against these bad industry players. Anything short of strong action will certainly solidify in the minds of many Coloradans that our own state agencies have no interest in protecting Colorado.”
The complaint is attached here.
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Colorado Rising is powering the grassroots movement to protect public health & safety from dangerous oil & gas operations.
To learn more, please go to www.corising.org
