Suburban unconventional energy development: an evaluation of key characteristics behind public trust and risk perceptions

Abstract

The dueling expansions of both hydraulic fracturing and population in the Colorado Front Range have sparked intense political conflict as these two land uses encroach on one another. State preeminence over oil and gas (OG) development, combined with an uncertain policy context, has led many local governments to pursue Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) as a way of gaining a seat at the table without risking political stalemates with the state. Theoretically, MOUs empower local governments to negotiate Best Management Practices directly with the operators in exchange for a stable regulatory landscape. This analysis builds on prior research evaluating a similar conflict in Erie, Colorado by tracking how the “interested public” – citizens who participated in public hearings on OG – changed their perceptions over time in two communities that experienced an OG conflict while negotiating an MOU. Our data includes observations of the citizen comment portion of local government meetings in Commerce City and Wadley Farms. These comment periods were transcribed and then coded in order to quantify: the number of times major topics of concern were discussed, the instances in which criticism and praise of other stakeholders were expressed, and the stakeholders’ overall stance regarding OG development. These case studies are then used to identify the key mechanisms influencing public perceptions of risk and trust in the industry, state government, and local government.