Galisteo Basin oil and gas drilling – Santa Fe County ordinance process

Location: Santa Fe County

Opposing Parties:

Initiation Date: September 2007

Status: On-going

Clients/Partners: Drilling Santa Fe

Attorneys: Eric Jantz

Issues:

Working with client to ensure that stringent protections are in place to ensure that oil and gas drilling is not detrimental to human health, or environmental and cultural resources in the Galisteo Basin near Santa Fe.

Precedents:

After more than a year of work, Santa Fe County is now home to the most environmentally-protective ordinance for oil and gas development in the nation.

Some precedent-setting aspects of the Ordinance:

• Significant baseline studies and modeling will be required before permits are issued.

• Ecologically- and culturally-sensitive areas have been identified, and will be closed to drilling.

• Companies will be required to use non-toxic fluids to fracture underground rock strata in order to release oil and gas for pumping to the surface.

• Drillers, rather than taxpayers, will be required to pay for new County services such as road paving and public safety that would accompany the growth of the industry.

• Drillers must keep surface disturbance to a minimum.

Latest News:

12/09/08 - Santa Fe County’s Draft ordinance approved. “County’s oil and gas regulations called a ‘progressive approach’ Santa Fe County now has an ordinance aimed specifically at regulating the activities of the oil and gas industry.“ Panel gives green light to drilling ordinance Santa Fe New Mexican