People in Pueblo are at the forefront of an emerging partnership between activists, conservationists and a newly created state unit to quantify environmental justice hotspots in Colorado communities and the toxic pollutants that bedevil them.
emissions
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Report that oil field methane emissions are down by half is wrong, Front Range cities with own pollution monitors say
Air pollution from oil and gas operations is on the wane, the industry says. But communities along the Front Range — with their own air monitors — counter that they are finding repeated spikes of methane and other pollutants. “Ground-level methane monitoring shows no decline in levels,” Cindy Copeland, an air and climate policy advisor […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Colorado oil and gas companies said a 2019 state law would destroy them. That didn’t happen. But here’s what did.
The demise of the oil and gas industry in Colorado — predicted after the passage of legislation and regulations focused on protecting public health, safety and the environment — does not appear to be imminent. Plans for nearly 1,900 new oil and gas wells are before the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in 2022 […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Gas-powered lawn equipment sales would be banned in parts of Colorado under Democrats’ latest climate bill
Two Democratic state lawmakers have introduced a sweeping climate and environment bill that would outlaw gas-powered lawn equipment along the northern Front Range, set new greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and force insurance companies operating in the state to conduct a climate assessment. Senate Bill 138 also aims to make carbon capture and sequestration easier […]
Posted inClimate, Energy, Environment, News
Colorado could stuff its CO2 deep in the ground to slow climate change
Colorado has snuffed the carbon-spewing smokestacks of some of its most noxious coal-fired plants. It’s tasked the oil and gas companies with plugging methane leaks in pipelines and capping carbon-weeping abandoned wells. And the state wants belching, gas-fueled V8s to turn themselves in for EVs with no tailpipe. Now, in another potentially crucial push to […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News
Can a climate-conscious CDOT build new roads and cut greenhouse gases at the same time?
The state agency that spent a century pouring roadways for trucks and automobiles now finds itself mapping out a new route — and paving the way to reducing impacts of climate change. Colorado Department of Transportation Director Shoshana Lew sees that lane to greenhouse gas cuts when she stands atop a new park that will […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, Environment, News
Thieves want your car’s catalytic converter — just as a new Colorado law drives up the cost to replace it
While police departments across Colorado report an upswing in thefts of catalytic converters, Front Range vehicle experts warn that the cost of new anti-pollution devices has skyrocketed — just as new state clean-air regulations prohibit installing cheaper used devices. The converter, which looks like a small muffler, is designed to turn environmentally hazardous carbon monoxide […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Effort to force Colorado to cut greenhouse emissions faster exposes exasperation with Polis administration
For more than a year, frustrated Colorado lawmakers and environmental groups have struggled to push the Polis administration to move faster to meet mandated cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Now they are advancing a bill to set emission caps and deadlines — over the objections of the governor. The Senate Transportation and Energy Committee moved […]
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 inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: The best path to better energy policy means small, reasonable steps
How is our energy policy working for you? The summer that I installed central AC in my attic in Sterling was a hot one. I knew when I bought this house that I’d have to install central AC: I never had it as a kid, but that first apartment with AC spoiled me. Forced to […]