Colorado Green Lights New Air Quality Law

Colorado is well known for its beautiful outdoor recreation activities, and the people who make it their home. Colorado was built on a foundation of love for the wilderness, so it’s no surprise that it is one of the first states out there to take a good hard look at the fossil fuel industries place in their state.

Regulators for Colorado State just gave the go ahead for a new rule that will mean much stricter standards for the fossil fuel industry. The new law will require oil producers to monitor their preproduction and beginning stages of production in the state much more strictly.

This new law is thought to be the first of its kind for the US. The Air Commision plans to monitor Methane, Benzene, and other pollutants. The amount of time being monitored has also been expanded. Previously the industry was required to monitor for 3 days, with the time period now being extended to 10 days.

In a statement published in the Denver Post, George Marlin, Clear Creek County commissioner and vice president of the organization said:

“Today’s decision will mean that local communities across Colorado’s West Slope and Front Range will be better protected from dangerous air pollution and from climate change. We will all have better data on air pollution and stronger protections against the damage caused by that pollution,”

Although the law is stricter, it was well received by the oil industry. Lynn Granger, executive director of the American Petroleum Institute-Colorado, praised the new laws as “feasible” while still making practical improvements.

This may not be the end of law changes. Colorado will monitor the situation and look for ways the laws can be changed in order to improve air quality in the state of Colorado.