The Colorado secretary of state’s office has 30 days to authenticate the signatures, and challenges are considered probable. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyLed by a coalition of environmental organizations, activists fanned out across the state to collect signatures. They argue that local communities should have the right to limit fracking, which they say pollutes the air and jeopardizes local water supplies. One of the Colorado ballot initiatives would establish local control over oil and gas operations, including fracking, while the other would prohibit drilling and fracking in a buffer zone 2,500 feet around occupied buildings, waterways and open public spaces like parks. The propositions could also have an effect on the presidential race in Colorado, which is considered a swing state.

Source: New York Times August 08, 2016 23:34 UTC