No Pipe Dream participates in nisp lawsuit
No Pipe Dream Press Release 1/19/21
No Pipe Dream joined Save the Poudre and Save Rural NoCo in serving Larimer County with a lawsuit on January 12, 2021, alleging that former Commissioners Donnelly and Johnson had publicly advocated for Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) for a decade, demonstrating bias. The suit argues that the named commissioners should not have participated in or voted on the NISP 1041 permit application because such bias violates Larimer County Land Use Code and the Colorado Constitution, which requires unbiased decision making on 1041 permits.
In addition, the lawsuit argues that the majority decision made by then Commissioners Donnelly and Johnson in favor of approving the NISP 1041 permit application violated multiple criteria defined in Larimer County's Land Use Code. No Pipe Dream urges the newly appointed Larimer County Commissioners to reconsider the illegal actions and decisions of the past commissioners.
"We ask that our members and friends take every opportunity to engage with our new Larimer County Commissioners to protect our land, our river and our way of life," said Karen Wagner of No Pipe Dream.
Commission Approves NISP 1041
Decision was 2-1
In the September 2 Larimer County Commissioner's meeting, the Commissioners voted 2-1 to support the monstrous NISP 1041 application, despite overwhelming opposition from residents, property owners, scientists and Poudre River advocates.
Members of the grassroots No Pipe Dream organization had hoped that the commissioners would put their constituents and the health of the state’s only National Heritage River before their personal desire for a new flat water reservoir.
No Pipe Dream’s CORA (Colorado Open Records Act) requests and research exposed Commissioners Tom Donnelly’s and Steve Johnson’s decade long bias and endorsement of NISP. Consequently, we are not surprised with tonight’s 2-1 vote, but bitterly disappointed as we envision NISP’s wide ranging impacts on our Larimer County homes, properties and quality of life.
A petition was formally submitted asking Commissioners Donnelly and Johnson to recuse because of obvious prior support of NISP.
Read about the refusal to recuse and the petition (with attachments) below on this page.
Only Commissioner John Kefalas expressed reservations about the application. Lame duck commissioners, Johnson and Donnelly, failed our organization and the citizens of Larimer County, who have argued long and hard that NISP is unsustainable, disastrous for the Poudre River and injurious to residents who live and make their livelihood in the pathway of the river-draining proposal.
It is NOT OVER
Considering that the Thornton 1041 pipeline application was refused, preparations are being made to resist the approval of the NISP pipelines in their 1041 application
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