Colorado Senator Misses Mark on Oil and Gas Regulator Count

A Colorado state senator maintains there may be too many state oil and gas inspectors, although he admits he was off in his initial guess at how many there are. The Grand Junction Sentinel reports that Senator Ray Scott, a Republican, said during a tele-town hall in July that he’d heard rumors that some inspectors for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission take naps on well pads because they have nothing to do. He said the state has about 100 inspectors, but later admitted to the Sentinel that there are only about 30. However, he said it takes far too long in Colorado for drilling permits to be approved and suggested some of the inspectors could be working on permits instead.