2020 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 37 - Water And Irrigation
Article 90.5. Geothermal Resources
Section 37-90.5-106. Drilling permits - reinjection.
(1) (a) Repealed.
(b) Effective July 1, 2006, prior to constructing a geothermal resource exploration, production, or reinjection well, a permit shall be obtained from the state engineer. The state engineer shall adopt such rules as are necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare and the environment and to prevent the waste of any geothermal resource. The state engineer shall also adopt rules for the assessment of reasonable fees for the processing and granting of a permit under this section.
The state engineer shall notify the Colorado water quality control commission of allapplications for a reinjection permit under this section and shall consider its comments in deciding whether to issue a permit. The state engineer may incorporate such comments as conditions to a permit. The water quality control commission shall respond to the notice required by this subsection (2) within sixty days.
Where the maintenance of underground pressures, the prevention of subsidence, orthe disposal of brines is necessary, reinjection of geothermal fluid may be required by the state engineer.
The state engineer shall notify the Colorado oil and gas conservation commission ofall applications for a permit to construct a geothermal well which expects to encounter geothermal fluids having a temperature in excess of 212 degrees Fahrenheit or will be in excess of two thousand five hundred feet in depth. The state engineer shall consider the Colorado oil and gas conservation commission comments in deciding whether to issue a permit. The state engineer may incorporate such comments as conditions to a permit. The Colorado oil and gas conservation commission shall respond to the notice required by this subsection (4) within sixty days.
Source: L. 83: Entire article added, p. 1421, § 1, effective June 10. L. 2003: (1) amended, p. 47, § 7, effective (see editor's note).
Editor's note: (1) Section 10 of chapter 7, Session Laws of Colorado 2003, provides for an effective date of March 1, 2003; however, the Governor did not sign the act until March 5, 2003.
(2) Subsection (1)(a)(II) provided for the repeal of subsection (1)(a), effective July 1, 2006. (See L. 2003, p. 47.)
Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 2003 act amending subsection (1), see section 1 of chapter 7, Session Laws of Colorado 2003.
