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Thomas Young, Vice President of Marketing & Communications | 303.333.7846 | [email protected]

DENVER – Colorado’s air quality has ranked among the worst in the world, and this past summer was particularly dire. A staggering 40 days saw our state’s air quality exceed EPA ozone standards, making it one of the most polluted summers in recent memory. The oil and gas industry is the primary contributor to ozone pollution in Colorado, jeopardizing public health, climate and the environment. Recently released rules by Colorado’s Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) represent a significant step forward in cleaning up our air and protecting communities most at risk, though they miss the mark in key areas.

The new ECMC rules concern the cumulative impacts of oil and gas pollution, which can be most harmful to communities already impacted by other industrial pollution, like many communities of color, low-income communities and much of Weld and Adams Counties.

“Coloradans are sick of dirty air and expect better. These new rules are an important step forward to address the biggest source of ozone pollution — oil and gas production — but only if they are enforced. Conservation Colorado will be watching closely to hold the oil industry and the state commission to it,” said Kelly Nordini, Conservation Colorado’s CEO.

Conservation Colorado commends the ECMC for the positive aspects of these new rules, which include:

• Better air quality protections: Strengthened requirements and stricter limits on air pollution emissions from oil and gas drilling, especially during the summer ozone season and in the Front Range, a region notorious for its poor air quality
• Strengthened community engagement: Enhanced procedural requirements in Disproportionately Impacted Communities that expand opportunities for public engagement and consultation, ensuring greater community input and transparency in our most vulnerable areas
• Strengthened consultation: Mandated outreach plans for oil and gas operators seeking to drill near homes and schools, fostering better communication and working to address community concerns

While these rules offer a positive step in many ways, they fall short in several areas. Notably, they fail to adequately evaluate and address the cumulative impacts of oil and gas pollution and other nearby industrial pollution sources on disproportionately impacted communities and wildlife. Additionally, loopholes allowing oil and gas drilling within 2,000 feet of homes remain, and the ECMC has granted itself broad discretion to implement these rules without providing sufficient accountability.

Conservation Colorado and our partners will remain engaged to ensure that these rules are effectively implemented, and that the health and safety of our communities are prioritized over the interests of the oil and gas industry.