Colorado recently became the first state in the nation to fully adopt the existing methane standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The state’s Air Quality Control Commission in the Department of Public Health and Environment voted unanimously Sept. 18 to adopt new standards for oil and gas operators under the 2024 EPA methane rules.
According to Colorado Public Radio, Colorado has led the nation in passing state-level rules to cut methane. The state cut methane emissions from its oil and gas operations by about 70 percent between 2010 and 2017. The revised rules set more strict standards on equipment commonly used by oil and gas companies to capture methane and other pollution.
Lynn Granger, CEO of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said, “Colorado operators continue to lead the way in reducing emissions, protecting public health and the environment, and producing the energy Coloradans rely on.” Nini Gu of the Environmental Defense Fund added, “At a time when federal methane protections are under threat, Colorado is showing that states can move forward, cut pollution and protect communities with strong, evidence-based rules.”
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