The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission rejected a citizen petition demanding faster adoption of a clean truck fleet, saying state air pollution staff and trucking businesses need more time to adapt rules already launched by California and other states. A coalition led by Colorado GreenLatinos, the City and County of Denver, NAACP Colorado and more […]
Elise Jones
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, Equity, News, Politics and Government
First-in-the-U.S. rules that give oil and gas industry leeway in slashing emissions OK’d in Colorado
Colorado air regulators have adopted a sweeping set of rules to slash methane emissions from oil and gas operations, including a controversial, first-in-the nation program giving industry a freer hand in determining how to cut pollution. The “intensity program,” under which operators will have to reduce emissions by set percentages based on the amount of […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, Health, News, Outdoors
Suncor must make pollution cuts to meet new haze rules protecting Colorado park views
Suncor must make deeper cuts to its sulfur dioxide emissions as part of state regulators’ revisions to federal “regional haze” rules, meant to boost visibility and restore pristine conditions at Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes and wilderness areas. The Air Quality Control Commission gave preliminary approval in November to a plan telling Suncor […]
Posted inClimate, Energy, Environment, News
Ozone plagues Colorado’s Front Range, state report says, but bids to change it are elusive
The worst ozone year in recent history on the Northern Front Range boosted pollutant violations in a rolling three-year average closely watched by the EPA, state officials said Thursday, though they did not offer bold new programs to combat the hazardous substance. Twelve monitoring sites on the Front Range now have a three-year average over […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
First-in-the-nation rule to slash methane emissions from Colorado oil and gas operations relied on compromise
A rule clamping down on air pollution from key devices used by the oil and gas industry – which drew support from environmental groups and industry – was unanimously adopted by Colorado air quality regulators Thursday. The first-in-the-nation rule requires the installation of non-emitting controllers on all new oil and gas operations and the retrofitting […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Order to close three Colorado coal-fired power plants early reversed, regulators cite “incomplete” information
The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission, at the urging of utility companies, did a regulatory two-step on Wednesday, rescinding the order for early closure of three coal-fired power plants that it issued last month. The November decision, made as part of the state’s plan to reduce regional haze at national parks, was based on incomplete […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Oil and gas companies must monitor fracking emissions as Colorado adopts first-in-the-nation rules to reduce air pollution
Oil and gas companies will have to control and monitor emissions from fracking and meet tighter emission-performance standards on the electric motors used at drill sites, under some first-in-the-nation rules passed Wednesday night by Colorado air quality regulators. The new rules for the so-called pre-production phase are in addition to regulations the state’s Air Quality […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, Health, Politics and Government, Transportation
Is Colorado leading or lagging on climate policy? It depends on which states you’re comparing us to.
States from coast to coast – faced with President Donald Trump’s insistence that climate change is “a hoax” – are taking the lead in creating climate policy and programs, and in this multifaceted exercise Colorado is either a leader or a laggard. On the one hand, the state has adopted some of the most ambitious […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Drafting rules to reduce Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions may prove even harder because of missing data
A plan to reduce Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions will be a device of many moving parts and after a review by an Air Quality Control Commission subcommittee Thursday it looks like those parts are moving slowly, with rules in key areas not in place for another year. The timetables rolled out during the session, carried […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
Colorado may have missed a deadline to plan for reducing greenhouse gasses. Now the state faces a lawsuit.
The clock is ticking. Each day climate-altering, man-made gases are building up in the atmosphere and Colorado’s effort to help stem the tide is running late. The Air Quality Control Commission missed a July 1 deadline to issue draft rules to meet Colorado’s greenhouse gas reduction targets – or perhaps it didn’t. It all depends […]