Dear Secretary Williams:

I submit this letter in opposition to the proposed Proposition 112 on behalf of Pipeliners Local 798, a trades union that represents the highest quality of pipe fitters, welders, pipeliners and other industry laborers across the country who make their living on constructing and operating energy infrastructure. This ballot measure would severely handicap oil and natural gas development across Colorado, killing tens of thousands of family-supporting jobs for local laborers and denying communities across the state from hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue and economic activity associated with energy infrastructure development.

If enacted, Proposition 112 would have an immediate and devastating impact on our members who are based in Colorado and the thousands of non-union and fellow union laborers in the state who depend on the timely approval of pipeline infrastructure projects to provide for their families. 

Colorado's oil and natural gas regulations are already some of the most stringent in the nation, including groundwater testing and monitoring, setbacks from buildings, noise barrier installations during drilling operations and re-routing or reducing construction traffic. These regulations help keep Colorado's water clean while ensuring we can responsibly access the state's abundant energy resources. There is simply no need for the additional regulations this initiative proposes.

Recent investment in energy infrastructure has greatly benefited local communities across Colorado, boosting economic activity in project areas and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue that has been used to improve schools, parks, libraries, first responder stations and other critical public services. This is not to mention the tremendous savings residents and business owners have enjoyed due to greater access to affordable, reliable and domestically sourced energy.

Proposition 112 would kill much of this progress, barring 4 out of every 5 acres of non-federal land in the state from oil or gas drilling, thus denying Coloradoans the tax revenue, economic boost, energy access and family-supporting jobs that come with energy infrastructure development.

The state's leading political voices seem to stand with us in our opposition to Proposition 112. Every gubernatorial candidate - Democrat and Republican - shunned the proposed initiative during this year's primaries, and even Congressman Jared Polis (D), who financially supported anti-oil and gas ballot measures in the past, refused to support Proposition 112. Former Colorado Attorney General and U.S. Senator Ken Salazar has called the measure "fundamentally unconstitutional."

I stand with Colorado residents, business owners and laborers in firm opposition to Proposition 112 and hope it never reaches the ballot in November.