Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission recently approved Regulation 7, a new standard requiring the Air Pollution Control Division, and oil and gas operators to directly measure methane emissions and use real-world data to demonstrate that they meet emission reduction standards.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and a significant contributor to our climate crisis. In southwestern Colorado, we are all too familiar with what happens when methane emissions from oil and gas operations go unchecked. NASA discovered the Four Corners “Methane Cloud” in 2014. This rule will help address the methane cloud, ensure operators comply with standards, and ensure that Colorado is on track to meet our climate objectives.
Elected officials, citizens and other stakeholders testified before the AQCC this month to support Regulation 7 as an integral tool for addressing the climate crisis. Cutting methane is essential for our economies and climate, and we have the technology to capture it. But we can only effectively track our progress on climate goals if we have strong standards, requiring operators to measure methane emissions directly.
I commend Gov. Jared Polis and his administration for continuing to be a national leader in reducing methane emissions by implementing practical enforcement tools. This new rule is another crucial step in that process, and I look forward to the work ahead.
John Clark
Ridgway
