DACONO – Dacono city officials have implemented a six-month moratorium on permitting new oil and gas development while they examine the city’s regulations.

The Times-Call reports that the City Council’s action on Monday does, however, allow for oil and gas developers to continue work if their development was already approved.

City Manager AJ Euckert said the city’s oil and gas regulations have not been updated since 1996. He says the moratorium is not a ban, but is a pause while officials review the safety and welfare of residents.

A map published by The Denver Post in May states there are about 161 wells in Dacono city limits that are either producing, active or being drilled.

Dacono is nearly 8.2 square miles (21 square kilometers) with a population of about 4,500 people.