DENVER—State regulators are considering new rules to bring the Denver area and other parts of Colorado’s Front Range into compliance with federal air-quality standards.
Last year, federal officials said the nine-county area was producing more ozone than government standards allow. The area includes Denver and parts of Weld, Larimer and Douglas counties.
Colorado could face federal sanctions if it doesn’t reduce the pollution.
The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission held a second day of hearings Friday and began voting on stricter regulations on the oil and gas industry and vehicles.
Ground-level ozone is a key component of smog and is a health risk for children and people with respiratory problems. It forms when the sun bakes pollutants such as vehicle exhaust and vapors from everything from paint cans to oil and gas wells.
The state tightened standards on the oil and gas industry in late 2006 to meet federal standards. The state required companies along the Front Range to cut emissions by 75 percent from tanks that capture liquids from oil and gas production.
The commission also imposed the first statewide controls on oil and gas tanks that emit 20 tons of pollution or more a year.
The Environmental Protection Agency held off declaring Denver out of compliance while Colorado adopted a pollution-reduction plan. But late last year, the EPA officially found the Denver area in violation of federal standards after high ozone readings in summer 2007.
A compromise developed this week by the industry, state staffers and local and regional officials would strengthen the pollution controls to comply with federal law and avoid sanctions. Oil and gas companies on the Front Range would have to reduce tank emissions systemwide by 81 percent starting in May; 85 percent starting May 2010; and 90 percent by May 2011.
The new regulations would also mandate pollution controls on all existing large internal combustion engines. Most of those are at oil and gas well sites.
Regulators say pollution from oil and gas production has increased with expanded drilling in northern Colorado, while emissions from other sources have declined.
“Oil and gas is our biggest emission source in the area. They’re almost 40 percent of the emissions, and the emissions are not well-controlled,” said Mike Silverstein, manager of planning and policy for the state air pollution control division.
Oil and gas companies believe the state should focus more on vehicles.
Regulators have proposed expanding where vehicle emissions tests are required to include the urban areas of Larimer and Weld Counties. They’ve also asked the EPA to require cleaner-burning gasoline be sold in those counties.
The industry has complained some of the new rules would be expensive and yield little benefit. Environmentalists don’t think the rules are strong enough.
The proposed regulations would give Colorado only a “razor-thin” buffer from violating federal standards, said Jeremy Nichols of WildEarth Guardians.
“This plan would barely reduce ozone, leaving the public gasping for clean air,” Nichols said.
Nichols said the state should be working to meet the new EPA standard of a maximum of 75 parts per billion from the current 84 parts per billion.
Silverstein said the new standard won’t be implemented until 2013.
The state must submit a plan to cut ozone by July 1. The Legislature will consider what the commission adopts.
