Bill > HB1310

This bill modifies existing Colorado law to expand the liability of oil and gas operators for their operations, particularly concerning surface owner accommodations and potential damages. It clarifies that operators must exercise reasonable care to avoid bodily injury and minimize damage to the surface, defining "minimizing intrusion" as using technologically sound, economically practicable, and reasonably available alternatives for wells, roads, pipelines, or production facilities. The bill strengthens the ability of surface owners, or in specific cases, property owners or injured individuals, to bring legal action for an operator's failure to meet these standards, allowing for compensatory damages or equitable relief. A significant addition is that operators are now liable if their oil and gas operations, including reinjection operations, cause an earthquake that damages property or injures individuals, regardless of where the person or property is located; this liability cannot be waived by contract but is subject to an affirmative defense if the operator followed specific regulatory requirements, contractual obligations, or land use plans. To establish a case for earthquake-related damages, a plaintiff must show the earthquake caused damage or injury and that the oil and gas operations occurred in an area previously identified as experiencing induced seismicity through a peer-reviewed study, with a five-year statute of limitations from the discovery of damages.