2 Colo. Code Regs. § 404-1-224

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 24, December 25, 2024

Section 2 CCR 404-1-224 - COMMUNITY LIAISON

a.Authority. Pursuant to § 34-60-104.5(2)(d)(III), C.R.S. (2024), a Community Liaison reports to the Director and serves as a dedicated resource for Disproportionately Impacted Communities regarding Commission regulation. The Director will appoint at least two Community Liaisons.

b.Qualifications. A Community Liaison will be qualified by training or experience in environmental justice, with consideration for experience in regulatory or environmental processes or subjects that the Commission regulates if possible, and should have been a resident of one or more Disproportionately Impacted Communities or have worked to advance environmental justice within Disproportionately Impacted Communities.

c.Duties. A Community Liaison's duties will include, but are not limited to:

(1) Serving as an advocate for Disproportionately Impacted Communities in a nonlegal capacity and, while taking into consideration the engagement practices in § 24-4-109(3)(b), C.R.S. (2024), acting as a liaison between Disproportionately Impacted Community members and the Commission on all matters within the Commission's jurisdiction that may impact Disproportionately Impacted Community members, including, but not limited to, communications regarding the permitting process;

(2) Being invited by the Director to attend all pre-application consultations for Oil and Gas Development Plan applications with Operations proposed within a Disproportionately Impacted Community to assist Disproportionately Impacted Community members in understanding the Commission's permitting processes and other opportunities for engagement;

(3) Reviewing Community Outreach Plans submitted pursuant to Rule 304.c.(19) and providing feedback to the Director and nonlegal comments to Disproportionately Impacted Community members;

(4) Providing Disproportionately Impacted Community members with relevant information regarding third-party resources, including but not limited to information regarding access to legal assistance to aid Disproportionately Impacted Community members in presenting their views to the Commission;

(5) Working to improve the relationships and interactions between Disproportionately Impacted Communities and the Commission;

(6) Assisting Disproportionately Impacted Community members by connecting them with resources and information regarding the Commission's complaint process and facilitating outreach regarding complaints to Operators and the Director;

(7) Acting as a resource for sharing information between the Commission and Disproportionately Impacted Communities;

(8) Engaging in outreach to Disproportionately Impacted Communities;

(9) Organizing and attending in-person meetings within Disproportionately Impacted Communities;

(10) Assisting, in a nonlegal capacity, Disproportionately Impacted Community members in understanding and accessing resources related to community benefit agreements; and

(11) Providing to the Director, for inclusion in the Director's Recommendation, a written review of the Operator's efforts to engage Disproportionately Impacted Community members and the perspectives of the Disproportionately Impacted Community members regarding the Operations proposed in the Oil and Gas Development Plan application.

d.Independent Positions. Neither the Commission nor the Director may direct the Community Liaison to take any specific position on a substantive issue within the Community Liaison's duties. The Community Liaison may not take any specific position on a substantive issue within the Community Liaison's duties.

e.Timing of Hiring. The Director will initiate recruitment for at least two Community Liaisons before December 31, 2024. Beginning on December 4, 2024, and continuing until such time the first two Community Liaisons are hired, the Director will provide the Commission with a monthly update on the status of efforts to hire the Community Liaisons. The Director will post a written summary of each update on the Commission's website. The timing of hiring will not impact or delay applications or permits pending or submitted to the Commission during the Director's hiring period.

2 CCR 404-1-224

47 CR 22, November 25, 2024, effective 12/15/2024