First Colorado City Votes to Reject Fracking Moratorium

Loveland became the first city in Colorado to reject a voter-imposed moratorium on gas and oil hydraulic fracturing. Voters in five cities have approved moratoriums since 2012 though they are being contested by energy companies and the state.

1 minute read

June 30, 2014, 11:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Residents of Loveland, a city of 67,000 soundly defeated "Question 1, the only item on the city’s special election ballot which proposed a two-year moratorium on fracking and a study of the process’ potential health impacts," writes Ryan Maye Handy, Environment and Public Lands Reporter for The Fort Collins Coloradoan.

It lost by 900 votes, or 4.5% of the 20,000 ballots cast on June 24. Coincidentally, that's the same amount of total votes cast in Broomfield last year. That measure passed by a mere 20 votes, or .1%.

Colorado has a recent history of voter-approved opposition to fracking, beginning with Longmont in 2012; and in 2013 by Fort Collins, Lafayette, Boulder, and Broomfield, all Front Range cities.

One might ask why some of these ballot measures are held in the first place considering that "(i)t’s been years since any new wells were fracked in Loveland and there appear to be no new wells in the works," said Loveland Public Information Officer Tom Hacker. 

Of interest to those who follow voter registration issues, one can register to vote the same day as the election in Colorado. Handy writes, "Loveland residents were casting votes and even registering until the eleventh hour on Tuesday. At one point would-be voters were sprawled on the office floor, registering to vote."

Abbreviated version of this article appears in Governing.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014 in The Coloradoan

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska downtown with mountains in background at golden hour.

Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan

Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.

34 minutes ago - Anchorage Daily News

Young man in wheelchair crossing zebra crosswalk.

How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities

Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.

1 hour ago - Governing

Aerial view of mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the winter with snow at dusk.

Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing

Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.

2 hours ago - CBS News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.