Colorado's Air Pollution Hearings Continue
Posted on Feb 24, 2014 10:29am PST
Colorado health officials have extended air pollution talks through the
weekend on a sweeping plan to reduce air pollution from oil and gas drilling.
The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission wrapped up a third day of public
testimony Friday and said it would return Saturday for more feedback.
The commission is preparing a final pollution update for the state's
booming oil and gas industry. The plan includes the nation's first
statewide limit on methane emissions from oil and gas production, plus
new infrared monitoring on leaks from oil and gas storage facilities.
There was no indication how long the commission would take to make a final
decision on the air rules, a commission spokesman said Friday.
State officials say the updated air rules would dramatically reduce emissions
of the gases that contribute to ozone pollution. Large energy producers
have backed the plan, though some industry groups say the new rules unfairly
burden small companies. Other opponents include Republican state Sen.
Greg Brophy, who is seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic
Gov. John Hickenlooper. "We might be the first state in the nation
to cloud our skies with marijuana smoke, but let's not become the
first state in the nation to regulate methane," Brophy wrote in a
letter to the commission. Most of the testimony, though, has been positive.
The Environmental Defense Fund, which helped craft the new rules, praised
the plan. "We need to act now, rather than wait for air quality to
deteriorate beyond any hope of control," the group said in a statement.
Energy companies including Anadarko, Encana and Noble helped craft the
rules too. The proposed rules would require companies operating in Colorado
to install the latest valves and auto-igniters to minimize emissions of
toxic gases. They would require companies to capture or control 95 percent
of emissions, using vapor-recovery tanks or other technology. Companies
also would have to inspect facilities for leaks, up to once a month, depending
on how many tons of pollution the facilities emit. Leaks would have to
be fixed in about 15 days.