Earlier this month, over 120 people packed the standing-room-only La Plata County chamber to support stronger, statewide methane regulations. Fifty -our citizens raised their voices and testified in the interest of our health and climate. We are grateful to the Air Quality Control Commission for heeding our concerns and – on Dec. 19 – unanimously passing a historic rule-making that will mandate stronger Leak Detection and Repair standards for the oil & gas industry and reduce volatile organic compounds (ozone precursors) in our air. Living in the Four Corners methane hot spot, hazardous pollution stemming from oil and gas wells is a daily part of our lives. I have seen the impacts of methane emissions on our community and recognize their danger. The invisible greenhouse gas endangers our health while amplifying the effects of climate change – methane is 84 times more damaging to our atmosphere, in terms of heat-trapping, than carbon dioxide. Methane clouds are usually associated with urban areas, but this one, the largest in the country at 2,500 square miles, is rural. With the dramatic increase in fracking and associated fugitive emissions, methane is now a rural health issue in the very communities that are least equipped to deal with its impacts. Researchers at Colorado State have documented oil and gas industry-caused asthma attacks in children directly related to the number of fracking wells. Colorado ranks third in the nation with upwards of 32,000 such attacks annually. These statistics beg for robust, expanded public protections. To view the full article visit the Durango Herald.
