Signatures turned in to put anti-fracking measure on Longmont ballot

Signatures turned in to put anti-fracking measure on Longmont ballot by Longmont Times-Call, July 22, 2012, Denver Post
Supporters of an anti-fracking charter amendment turned in their petitions to the Longmont city clerk Friday, submitting more than 8,200 signatures. If at least 5,704 of those names are ruled valid, the measure would go to the Nov. 6 ballot. Longmont voters would be asked to decide whether hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, should be banned within city limits. … Hydraulic fracturing reaches oil and gas deposits by using high-pressure fluid to crack rock deep underground. Opponents say the practice is environmentally damaging; supporters say it occurs too deep to taint groundwater. The petition was turned in just three days after the Longmont City Council approved its new drilling regulations, as well as a contract with oil and gas company TOP Operating. The rules include a restriction on surface drilling in residential zones, although a company can request an exception. The agreement with TOP allows the company to drill 11 multi-well sites on city-owned land, but includes restrictions, including a mandatory 750-foot separation from occupied buildings.