Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday outlined an ambitious goal to cut nitrogen oxide emissions from Colorado's oil and gas industry by half by 2030.
An industry leader called the plan challenging and hinted that oil and gas companies prefer to deploy technological innovations, rather than regulations, to curb emissions.
In a letter, Polis directed state agencies in charge of oil and gas operations and air quality to develop rules by the end of 2024 to require oil and gas operators in the Front Range northeast ozone nonattainment area to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, a group of gasses that contributes to producing ozone during the summer.
Polis wants the emissions cut by at least 30% by 2025 and at least 50% by 2030.
“Despite passing meaningful and effective legislation to reduce emissions from oil and gas operations, the sector still has a significant impact on our state’s air quality and greenhouse gas emissions,” Polis said in a letter to Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and the Department of Public Health and Environment.
The governor said breathing air with a high concentration of NOx can harm breathing, and exposures over short periods can aggravate respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, leading to respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing, hospital admissions, and visits to emergency rooms.
In a statement, Dan Haley, President and CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, said Colorado’s oil and natural gas producers are "committed to clean air and reducing our emissions, and we’re appreciative the governor has acknowledged that our industry leads the nation in clean operations.”
But, he said, the governor's NOx targets as outlined are very ambitious and will be a challenge to achieve.
“This industry has proven time and again it is most successful when it leans into technology and innovation and engineers its way toward solutions,” Haley said. “The governor’s letter raises questions for us, but we’re committed to being at the table for the rulemaking and finding commonsense ways to continue reducing our emissions along the Front Range.”
Lynn Granger, Midwest/Mountain West Director for American Petroleum Institute, said Polis' plan is aggressive and highly ambitious, necessitating an "all-hands approach from regulators, industry and stakeholders.”
“Ground-level ozone is a persistent issue along the Front Range, owing in large part to the unique topography of the region," Granger said. "In fact, nearly two-thirds of our daily ozone is attributable to naturally occurring ozone and out-of-state precursors.”
Kirsten Schatz of CoPIRG said emissions from the oil and gas sector needs to be addressed.
“No single solution will bring ozone pollution in our region down below unsafe levels, but we clearly need to address emissions from the oil and gas sector in order to get there since it is the largest source of ozone-forming NOx in the region," Schatz said.
Industry experts have said Colorado’s rules governing oil and natural gas development are already the most rigorous in the country.
Haley said the Polis administration needs to slow down and let operators adapt to the new rules already in place.
“It’s time for the state, including the state legislature, to let the rules work and let our operators get to work producing the vital resources our country and the world need,” Haley said. “Any legislation that aims to curb local production will only require our state to import more oil and gas from other states or countries and, as even the governor acknowledges, delay progress toward cleaner air.”
Polis defended his administration's greenhouse gas reduction plans.
“When it comes to air pollution, my administration prioritizes legislation, unprecedented statewide investments, and administrative actions that address greenhouse gas and ozone pollution on a sector-by-sector basis aligned with the state’s statutory emissions goals,” Polis said.
