RIFLE, Colo. ” Oil and gas regulators have been exempted from the state’s hiring freeze so they can bring on more employees to enforce new drilling regulations.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Commission plans to hire 14 people over the next two to three months to help oversee drilling.

Earlier this year, state lawmakers gave the commission permission to hire 21 new employees but the commission later decided to only hire 16 this year. Only two had been hired before Gov. Bill Ritter imposed a hiring freeze in October. Ritter’s budget office later exempted the new oil and gas positions from the freeze.

Dave Neslin, the commission’s acting director, said the 14 extra positions should be enough to enforce the new rules.

The proposed new oil and gas regulations give more consideration to the effects that drilling will have on public health, wildlife and the environment.

The commission will meet in Denver starting Tuesday to vote on the regulations.

Colorado is expected to issue about 7,600 permits by the end of the year, setting a new record. The total last year was 6,368 permits.