Immediate Release Contacts:

October 14, 2014 Doug Flanders

303-861-0362
doug.flanders@coga.org


Dominic Delpapa
303-888-8556
ddp@ikuestrategies.com


COLORADO OIL & GAS ASSOCIATION AGREES TO DISMISSAL OF
LONGMONT REGULATORY LAWSUIT


October 14, 2014 - Denver The Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA) is
announcing that it is voluntarily withdrawing its claims in the lawsuit filed against the City
of Longmont (City) challenging the validity of certain aspects of the Citys oil and gas
regulations. While COGA maintains that certain aspects of the regulations are
preempted by state law and are, therefore, unlawful and invalid, an agreement has been
reached between the City, COGA, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
(COGCC), and other intervenors to dismiss the lawsuit without prejudice.

On J uly 30, 2012 the COGCC filed the suit seeking to invalidate certain portions of new
oil and gas regulations passed by the Longmont City Council on J uly 17, 2012
(Ordinance O-2012-25). The Court permitted COGA to intervene in the litigation.

COGA has consistently treated legal action to resolve differences over oil and gas
development as a last resort, COGA President and CEO Tisha Schuller said. COGA
has agreed to the dismissal of its claims in the Longmont regulatory lawsuit because the
single operator there has an agreement in place with the City and because the courts
are making it clear that local regulations do not preempt state law.

Following a separate citizen ballot initiative banning hydraulic fracturing that passed in
Longmont in November 2012, COGA initiated legal action seeking to invalidate the
ban. The COGCC later was joined as a necessary party to the lawsuit. Longmonts ban
was recently held invalid by the District Court J udge because they were preempted by
state law.

Two other District Courts hearing cases regarding Fort Collins and Lafayette have also
invalidated a locally imposed five-year moratorium and an outright ban on oil and gas
development and operations in those respective communities. To date, the District
Court J udges in three cases have agreed with COGAs position that bans and moratoria
imposed on hydraulic fracturing operations are improper and illegal.

I am proud of our track record negotiating over 30 local agreements across the state
under a balanced system of state and local regulations that really works. With the local
fracking bans dismissed by the courts and the 2014 election ballot issues withdrawn, we
have a renewed opportunity to continue working with individual communities on creating
practices and standards that are tailored to local needs, concluded Schuller.

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