Regulations on pollution and air quality should be standardized

As anyone who loves or has visited Southwest Colorado knows, it truly is a special place. This region holds deep significance to the indigenous tribes who have lived there for generations, and many people choose to call it home because of our shared dedication to public lands, clean air, and clean water, which are essential to our livelihoods and the quality of our lives. life.

Given this heritage, regions like ours have a vested interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving air quality.

In February of next year, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission will consider revising a state rule aimed at combating ozone-causing pollutants from the oil and gas sector. This includes a plan to phase out the use of natural gas emitting devices called pneumatic controllers that regulate oil and gas equipment and replace them with cleaner, non-emitting alternatives. Pneumatic controllers are significant sources of methane – a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming – as well as volatile organic compounds that generate ozone and other pollutants that pose risks to our health.

The current proposal would give oil and gas facilities located in the Denver Metro/Northern Front Range ozone “nonattainment zone” — where ozone pollution levels exceed federal standards — until May 2027 to modernize these polluting devices, while communities like mine outside this area would give until May 2027. be exposed to emissions from pneumatic controllers for two more years – until March 2029 – before businesses are required to fully comply.

As we know in southwest Colorado, pollution knows no borders, and the state’s own greenhouse gas data indicates that about 70 percent of methane emissions are caused by air controllers. originate from outside the DMNFR ozone non-attainment zone. Additionally, research has consistently found that significant greenhouse gas emissions in the Four Corners are attributed to oil and gas activity, and Western Slope counties, including La Plata County, have received repeatedly rated poorly for ozone and air quality in the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report. report.

The timeline for phasing in cleaner alternatives to pneumatic devices is expected to be the same across Colorado. Pollution and air quality issues affect everyone, and we can build a healthier, more resilient future if we adopt robust regulations and enforce them equitably across the state.

We face potential rollbacks of crucial federal environmental regulations and general uncertainty about our climate in the years ahead, and it will likely be up to state and local governments to defend our environment. As an elected official, I take this responsibility seriously. In recent years, La Plata County has strengthened and refined its own local oil and gas regulations and taken other steps to be strong environmental stewards. I am ready to work with state leaders to protect the natural resources so important to my constituents and safeguard public health. Future generations depend on all of us to do this work.

The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a federal rule last spring aimed at reducing methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, directing each state to propose a plan to implement the rule by March 2026. This regulation coming before the AQCC is an opportunity to simultaneously establish standards. that can be incorporated into our national methane plan, equitably address ozone and climate pollution across the state, and be a model for others across the country.

Colorado is a recognized leader in methane policy. The AQCC now has the opportunity to set an example once again. I urge AQCC to make this regulation count by ensuring that all Coloradans – including those on the Western Slope – can benefit from a clean and healthy airshed.

Marsha Porter-Norton is a La Plata County Commissioner and contributor to Western Leaders Voices, which amplifies the views of tribal, local and state elected leaders on conservation issues in the Interior West.