Dispute over drilling on Colorado’s Roan Plateau may be nearing resolution

Years of controversy over drilling for natural gas on the Roan Plateau near Rifle in western Colorado may — once again — be close to resolution. There’s a proposed deal on the table that could end years of litigation and it's supported by a “broad coalition” of oil and gas companies interested in drilling on the plateau, environmental groups that have opposed drilling plans, Colorado state officials and Western Slope stakeholders, according to an April 1 letter from U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton…