Hit stop, or at least pause, on plans to drill wells in northern Broomfield was the message from residents of Broomfield and Adams counties to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission during the first of two days of spacing application hearings Monday.

Public comment was heard for more than three hours with people who signed up to speak filling the approximately-70 seats inside the hearing room. The line to speak trailed down one side of the room and out into the hallway.

Many commented that they were told it was pointless to speak out before the commission, largely because they heard that COGCC has never denied a spacing application.

“I’m here today to hopefully witness history,” Broomfield resident Kim McNaughton said, and see COGCC deny Extraction Oil and Gas, Inc.’s application.

Following public comment and executive session by COGCC commissioners, the hearing was reconvened in mid-afternoon. Commissioners rescheduled Broomfield-related hearings for Tuesday morning. The decision included giving Broomfield and Extraction time to refine language in some of the applications.

Multiple residents showed up with surgical face masks, with identifiers or messages written on them, as a form of silent protest. A verbal protest took place when the commission took a 10-minute break from hearing public comments. More than a dozen people, armed with signs proclaiming “Yes on 301,” “You should protect us, not poison us,” and “Hear Broomfield’s voice,” marched in the hallway.

With television and still cameras pointed in their direction, they chanted “We need a voice, we need a say, tell the state it’s not OK” while walking in the elevator bay on the same floor as the hearings and then moving to the front of the building, the Chancery Building at 1120 Lincoln St. in downtown Denver.

Elected officials were allowed to speak at the beginning of the public comment period, including Broomfield’s Ward 4 Councilman Kevin Kreeger and Ward 2 Councilwoman Sharon Tessier.

They both were there to oppose Extraction’s spacing application and to represent the thousands of residents who oppose large-scale industrial fracking in an urban setting.

Tessier, who along with Kreeger voted to not approve an operator agreement between Broomfield and Extraction last week, said she does not want COGCC to assume that because Broomfield adopted best-practices with Extraction, that residents are OK with the project. She doesn’t want to normalize the abnormal, she said, and right now she has no guarantee of safety.

She thanked commissioners for listening to residents, both today and at a public forum Oct. 12 that took place in Broomfield, and commended the work Broomfield has made on its oil and gas task force to come up with possible regulations and best practices. Like others, she doesn’t understand why these types of operations are done with no evidence proving it’s safe.

She offered COGCC advice using one of her mother’s sayings.

“When in doubt, leave it out, Sugar,” she said.

Kreeger focused his comments on health and safety, citing Erie and reports from residents specifically. He pointed to a “belch” of toxins fumes from a well pad that led to dozens of calls and people reporting nosebleeds and other physical ailments.

He also brought up photo of an “oily residue” covering patio furniture in the area. If it’s covering furniture, he said, that means it’s a fine mist in the air and is covering peoples lungs.

Broomfield mineral owner Phil Young was one of several Wildgrass residents who spoke out against the proposed plan and outdated regulations, such as those concerning forced pooling.

Residents have been professional and respectful, he said, and yet are still denied rights, including property rights when owners who don’t sign lease agreements are subject to forced pooling.

Adams County resident Megan Townsend, who has spoken out publicly since Extraction’s plans moved wells closer to her community, commended Broomfield for its negotiations with Extraction. She said Extraction has reassured her and her family, which just purchased a home in Adams County, that they will be safe.

“But there’s a pit in my stomach and a lump of worry in my throat about this plan,” Townsend said.

She, along with most — if not all, Adams County residents in attendance — is in favor of consolidating wells onto fewer pads and moving them farther from homes.

Over and over, commissioners heard comments that their rules have not kept up with technological advancements in the industry that allow horizontal drilling and lets operators move from rural to urban settings.

“I feel these dated regulations can’t protect us from what’s happening today,” Broomfield resident Judy Kelly said.

Cities cannot always rely on memorandums of understanding, she said.

Boulder County Commissioner Elise Jones reiterated points that the status quo is not working, and called for both stronger state and local regulations.

“Our constituents feel like we’re failing them, and honestly, I don’t blame them,” she said.

Public comment lasted until 1 p.m., an hour and a half longer than allocated. Each person was given three minutes to speak. Residents from Denver, Longmont and other area cities also attended to make general comments or air grievances about certain projects.

In approving an operator agreement with Extraction, Broomfield agreed to drop the protests it had filed against the operator. Still, several other protests still are expected to be heard against Extraction.

Jennifer Rios: 303-473-1361, riosj@broomfieldenterprise.com or Twitter.com/Jennifer_Rios