"Colorado Anti-Fracking Activists Fall Short in Ballot Efforts"

"Government officials say petitions fall short of signatures required for state voters to weigh in on local control of fracking in the state."

"Two anti-fracking initiatives did not get enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot, Colorado officials announced on Monday, giving the oil and gas industry its latest victory over communities seeking to exert local control over fracking.

This was the second time Coloradans concerned about the environmental, public health and economic impacts of hydraulic fracturing and related oil and gas activity have tried to restrict the industry through ballot initiatives. In 2014, Gov. John Hickenlooper struck a last-minute political deal with the iniative's main sponsor, Democratic Congressman Jared Polis, to stop the petition, offering instead to create a task force to address the issues.

But after recommendations proposed by that task force had largely failed to translate into legislative action and Colorado's high court struck down some local fracking bans, activists renewed the push for ballot measures."

Zahra Hirji reports for InsideClimate News August 29, 2016.