On September 25, 2014, District Court Judge Christopher Melonakis ruled against City and County of Broomfield's claims that Sovereign Operating Company should comply to the five-year moratorium on fracking. Sovereign Operating sued Broomfield because a strict legal agreement had been in place prior to the moratorium, which allows the company to drill within Broomfield as long as standards are met. Although not legally obligated to do so, Sovereign voluntarily agreed to the memorandum with Broomfield, which includes stringent standards that go beyond Colorado's already strict regulations for water quality, air quality, safety, etc. As a result of the court's decision, Sovereign is now able to pursue drilling efforts in the area. Chairman and COO of Sovereign, Tom Metzger, stated "We're pleased that the court said clearly that local agreements between an operator and a municipality like the one Sovereign entered into can't be violated retroactively by fracking bans." As a company, Sovereign is dedicated to working closely with local jurisdictions for oil and gas drilling, while respecting the state's regulations, needs of local communities, and the environment.

To read the full press release on the Colorado Oil and Gas Association's webpage, please click here.