The Colorado Oil and Gas Association has sued Longmont, Colo. that outlawed hydraulic fracturing. The suit alleges voters had no right to ban the drilling practice.
The lawsuit seeks to overturn the ban on the contentious practice that passed by a wide margin last month by Longmont voters. The measure still permits oil and gas drilling within city limits, but it prohibits hydraulic fracturing, which has raised concerns about air and water contamination.
The oil and gas association said the ban amounted to a prohibition on all efforts to tap the estimated $500 million in oil and gas resources locked in the rocks deep beneath Longmont.
