Colo. county commissioners sued over shale industry meeting

Two Western Slope citizens groups have filed a lawsuit alleging the Garfield County commissioners violated Colorado's Sunshine Law by meeting behind closed doors with industry representatives and other elected officials in Vernal, Utah, in March to draft oil shale policy.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in Garfield District Court by the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance (GVCA) and the Western Colorado Congress (WCC).

It asks a judge to rule that the commissioners violated the Colorado Open Meetings Law by convening in executive session as part of a March 27 meeting hosted by the Uintah County, Utah, commissioners.