The City and County of Broomfield served Extraction Oil and Gas a citation on February 7, 2020, for violating Broomfield’s noise ordinance the night of February 6, 2020.
The City and County of Broomfield served Extraction Oil and Gas a citation on February 7, 2020, for violating Broomfield’s noise ordinance the night of February 6, 2020.
The emergency noise ordinance was passed by City Council on January 14, 2020, limiting noise from industrial operations in residential areas between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. after a significant and increasing number of residents reported that the excessive noise from oil and gas operations was preventing their families, including children, from sleeping. This noise, and the resulting stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation, may be causing adverse health impacts and is impairing the overall welfare of a significant number of residents, within their residential communities.
“Broomfield has a responsibility to preserve the public peace and protect the health, safety, and welfare of our residents,” says City and County Manager Jennifer Hoffman. “Enforcing the ordinance passed by the City Council shows our collective and continued effort to protect the health and well being of our residents.”
The first citation comes after Extraction failed to cease operations between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., or to submit a noise modeling study that showed noise levels wouldn’t exceed the standards, or to seek a variance from the provisions; which they had 15 days to complete after the ordinance passed. Each day Extraction fails to comply is a separate violation and Broomfield will cite the operator every day the violation continues. Violation of municipal ordinances can result in a maximum fine of $2,650.
Broomfield’s agreement with Extraction allows for the city and county to enact and apply general ordinances that apply to all commercial and industrial operations, including the noise ordinance that readopted and amended Chapter 9-36 of the Broomfield Municipal Code, which can be viewed here.
As this is an on-going effort, the City and County of Broomfield encourages residents to continue to report noise and other oil and gas related concerns to the Immediate Concern line at Broomfield.org/ImmediateConcern or 720.887.3130.