I feel like collateral damage in a war zone!

I recently received an encouraging email that brought back memories from my time as a city councilman. This email came from a group that petitioned the City for a zoning change years ago. It reads, “… wanted to reach out to you because of your support when we presented the request to the Guthrie City Council. You may not remember but we do.”

As councilman I learned first hand the importance of zoning decisions. As illustrated by the email, those affected will remember that one zoning vote for a lifetime.

It is certainly appropriate for these decisions to occur at the local level of government since it is closest to the people. What is right for one city may not be right for another, and that’s why Oklahoma’s statutory scheme has generally emphasized that city officials make these types of decisions.

Since 1935, an important construct of this statutory structure has allowed city councils to put forward a zoning plan to account for energy sector activity such as oil and gas wells. For example, a local council can take action when necessary to ensure that noisy oil and gas activity does not occur too close to a subdivision.

This recently became an issue of debate in Stillwater after an energy site operator purportedly placed a noisy site too close to a subdivision. As the city considered how to handle this issue, they received unprecedented pressure from state capitol lobbyists who normally reserve their lobbying for legislators.

At the same time, the Legislature began advancing Senate Bill 809 to remove the 1935 provision.

Over the past few months I have been interviewed time and again by the national and international press regarding earthquakes and induced seismicity. I never sought out these interviews but have been a part of them because until recently I was one of two legislators who were willing to talk in detail about the issue.

In those interviews, I have worked very hard to avoid sounding negative about the influence of the energy sector over the state and policy. I don’t want to put Oklahoma in a bad light! I have emphasized the good work of the state officials at the Corporation Commission. With substantial help from some in the energy sector, these officials are using a data-based approach to put a stop to the action of irresponsible wastewater injection site operators without affecting those who are following best practices.

That said, I simply cannot explain away the very negative perception created by Senate Bill 809. The bill creates an understable perception to the outside world that the energy sector is flexing its political muscle regardless of the consequences of induced seismicity.

This perception isn’t just held by the outside world but was also recently reflected in the comments of a local constituent who called my office after hearing about Senate Bill 809 in the news. After enduring several years of earthquakes he was struck by the insensitivity of Oklahoma’s politicians for bringing the proposal forward at this time.

“I feel like collateral damage in a war zone,” he exclaimed.

Now is simply not the time to remove the law that has left this issue to the purview of the cities since 1935. The bill recently passed the House by just eight votes. It now awaits final action in the Senate where, if approved, it will go to the Governor.

Thank you for reading this article. Your interest and input are much appreciated. Please do not hesitate to email Jason.Murphey@hd31.org with your thoughts and suggestions.