by Elisabeth Lorio Baer
Despite the urging of Caddo Parish property owners to pass regulating ordinances and appeals from the oil and gas industry to leave regulation to other governing bodies, Caddo Parish commissioners decided to postpone the passage of oil and gas ordinances on Thursday. The Caddo Commission has been studying the proposals since February, but has decided to postpone a final vote by the Commission until August pending further discussion with the Commission’s oil and gas committee. The parish ordinances will further regulate certain state regulations instituted by the Louisiana Office of Conservations, scheduled to go into effect in August, such as hours of operation, noise, lighting, dust and other conditions at well and pipeline sites. The Caddo Parish Commissioners are striving to develop a set of ordinances that both protect the citizens of Caddo Parish, but also keep costs down to allow the continuation of drilling by smaller oil companies that have been drilling in Caddo Parish for years without local regulation. Commissioner Doug Dominick is recommending grandfathering language in the ordinance to protect the existing oil companies drilling in the area.
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