Colorado oil-gas regulators take rules dispute to high court

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman says the lower court ruling rewrites the state law.

DENVER (AP) — Colorado’s attorney general has asked the state Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling that said regulators could put more weight on public health and the environment when they draw up rules for oil and gas.

In documents filed Thursday, Attorney General Cynthia Coffman says the lower court ruling essentially rewrites state law and contradicts previous Supreme Court rulings.

The Supreme Court didn’t immediately indicate whether it would take the case.

Coffman filed the appeal at the request of state regulators but over the objections of Gov. John Hickenlooper. Hickenlooper said regulators don’t have the authority to appeal, and that the ruling wouldn’t significantly change the way regulators work.

Coffman disagreed, saying regulators do have the authority to appeal, and that the Supreme Court should settle the issue.