As Fort Collins awaits similar fracking lawsuit, Longmont racks up $69,000 in legal fees

As Fort Collins awaits similar fracking lawsuit, Longmont racks up $69,000 in legal fees by Bobby Magill, May 2, 2013, Coloradoan.com
If you’re wondering what it might cost Fort Collins to defend itself in court if it is sued for banning fracking, the answer is a quickly moving target. The only other city in Colorado to ban fracking and restrict energy development within city limits is Longmont, which has spent nearly $69,000 in legal fees through March 31 defending itself against two lawsuits challenging the city’s oil and gas regulations. … Fort Collins Mayor Karen Weitkunat said Thursday city officials have not discussed how much it might cost Fort Collins to fight any future lawsuit challenging the city’s fracking ban because no lawsuit has been filed yet. “Once that gets into real litigation and you start talking about all the resources that go there, then the numbers start to escalate,” she said. “The bottom line is not only what it costs going in, (but) what happens if you lose. Then it becomes even greater.” After the Fort Collins City Council voted to ban fracking in March, Gov. John Hickenlooper said it’s the state’s obligation to sue any city that does so because the state has sole domain over regulating oil and gas extraction. COGA has also suggested a lawsuit may be imminent. Litigation in the two Longmont lawsuits is ongoing, and no trial date has been set for either case. [Emphasis added]