State regulators have approved the controversial Draco Pad oil and gas project near Erie, allowing Civitas Resources to move forward with drilling that will extend more than two miles into Boulder County.
The Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) voted 4-1 in favor of the project after months of public opposition and a temporary pause over safety concerns and questions about alternative location.
The well pad, proposed by Civitas subsidiary Extraction Oil & Gas, will be located in unincorporated Weld County. It sits near Erie’s under-construction Westerly neighborhood. According to Westerly’s developer, Southern Land, 72 homes will sit within 2,000 feet of the site only after drilling is completed. Boulder County officials and local residents have warned the project poses environmental and health risks, including ozone pollution and the potential disturbance of aging legacy wells beneath nearby homes.
A new peer-reviewed study from the Colorado School of Public Health found that children living near oil and gas wells in Colorado face significantly higher risks of developing leukemia, with elevated risks extending up to eight miles from active sites. The findings raise concerns that the state’s current 2,000-foot setback requirement may not be enough to protect children’s health.
The commission paused the proposal last November, citing Civitas’ failure to adequately evaluate an alternative site. But after further review, the company determined that location was no longer viable — primarily because of uncertainty around rezoning and a newly imposed environmental use restriction from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The restriction, aimed at protecting the nearby capped Neuhauser Landfill, complicates future development on that land.
Although state officials said the timing of the restriction was unrelated to the Draco Pad proposal, it ultimately cleared the way for drilling at the original site. The commission concluded that Civitas had met the state’s mitigation standards and lifted the stay, despite continued objections from the community.
Civitas must complete all pre-production work by Oct. 15, 2027.
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