The Right to Resist or a Case of Injustice? Meta-Power in the Oil and Gas Fields

Depressed democracy, environmental injustice: Exploring the negative mental health implications of unconventional oil and gas production in the United States

“…Using rich ethnographic data collected in multiple communities across northern Colorado, I show how UOG production near people’s homes drives stress experiences that go beyond the mere presence of industrial land uses in neighborhoods. Procedural and institutional aspects of governing UOG production matter, too, and can systematically exclude people from participating in making decisions about where, when, and how UOG production takes place [ [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] ]. Conversely, policies and inequitable processes also actively disempower members of the public or exclude them from decision-making, though private operators can exercise strong influence over policy processes [ 15 ].…”

“…Procedural and institutional aspects of governing UOG production matter, too, and can systematically exclude people from participating in making decisions about where, when, and how UOG production takes place [ [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] ]. Conversely, policies and inequitable processes also actively disempower members of the public or exclude them from decision-making, though private operators can exercise strong influence over policy processes [ 15 ]. These institutional barriers make UOG production a chronic stressor – which can be more insidious, negative, and, significantly, can generate longer-term mental health impacts such as self-reported depression [ 17 ].…”

“…Disallowing local control of UOG production has been controversial in Colorado, where many municipalities retain Home Rule – the ability for communities to zone and regulate other land uses and economic activities within city limits. However, the oil and gas industry remains one of the few industries exempted from Home Rule through state preemption [ [4] , [15] , [18] ]. Local communities have tried to place moratoria or bans on UOG production, but they have been sued by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA), a powerful pro-industry lobbying group in Colorado.…”

Like Oil and Water in the American West: Water Market Access amid Unconventional Oil Production in Colorado

“…Their presence drives inequality and, perhaps most significantly, sends water to extinction through extractive uses—not the most sustainable or “highest use” of such a vital resource, especially from the perspective of the public trust. Other state institutions, such as regulatory, public health, and environmental agencies, do not appear willing or able to challenge or change the inequities that result (Malin, Opsal, et al ). Thus, while water markets may have been intended to facilitate more equitable, open, and transparent exchanges among water users, the presence of new and powerful market actors can skew markets and distort price signals, allowing UOG producers to dominate markets and constrain access for other users.…”

“…Consequently, UOG producers, communities, elected leaders, developers, and agricultural producers find themselves negotiating and experimenting with how to use scarce land and water resources for multiple competing uses (Boersma and Johnson ; Borick, Rabe, and Lachapelle ; Davis ; Malin et al ). As each state decides how it will control UOG production, drastically different institutional outcomes emerge regarding land use, water use, and environmental justice issues such as access to resources and decision‐making power (Malin and DeMaster ; Malin, Opsin, et al ; McKenzie et al ; Mohai et al ; Schlosberg ).…”