Evergreen Natural Resources Seeks Aquifer Exemption Expansion in Las Animas County

Evergreen Natural Resources LLC has applied to expand an Underground Injection Control aquifer exemption in Las Animas County, triggering a public notice process overseen by the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission.

The ECMC posted the notice, titled "Notice of Proposed Aquifer Exemption Expansion - Las Animas County," and opened a public comment period through an online form linked directly in the notice. A Commission hearing that included public comment took place March 25, 2026. The ECMC has not published details of who testified or what was said at that hearing; obtaining the hearing record would require a separate request to the agency.

What Evergreen is specifically seeking to inject underground, which aquifer would be affected, and the geographic footprint of the proposed expansion are not detailed in the public notice text released to date. Those technical specifics, including any maps, engineering reports, and aquifer designations, are contained in the full application package available through the ECMC docket.

The ECMC regulates oil and gas development, deep geothermal resources, carbon capture and sequestration, and underground natural gas storage across Colorado, with a stated mandate to protect "public health, safety, welfare, the environment and wildlife resources." Aquifer exemptions under the Underground Injection Control program allow certain underground water sources to be used for purposes such as oil and gas waste injection, effectively removing them from designation as potential drinking water sources under federal rules.

Evergreen Natural Resources is not new to local regulatory engagement. The company's safety coordinator, Susan Wolfram, participated in a Las Animas County Hazard Mitigation Plan update meeting on March 2, 2022, alongside Hoehne Fire Chief Darren Kolakowski, then-Las Animas County Emergency Manager Kim Chavez, and Town of Kim Mayor Bud Broce, among others. That planning process listed Evergreen among a slate of notified stakeholders that also included Mt. San Rafael Hospital, Holy Trinity Academy, the Spanish Peaks-Purgatoire River Conservation District, and the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site.

Residents who want to weigh in on the aquifer exemption expansion can submit comments through the form linked in the ECMC's public notice. The ECMC can be reached directly at (303) 894-2100 or by mail at 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801, Denver, CO 80203.