Main Points:
Northern Colorado has terrible air quality.
Leaks and fugitive emissions from Fracking contribute 30-40% to the problem.
Leaks need be Detected, Reported, and Repaired (LDR&R) as soon as they occur.
Pollution prevention equipment needs to be maintained and functional.
The solution is available! Project Canary provides a good model: 1 min, 41 sec Youtube
Latest Update
June 2022. Commissioner Kefalas deflects. Instead of directing county staff to develop a LDR&R regulation he is pointing to what the county already does and their plans to increase air quality monitoring. While it’s nice to know what’s in the air, it is not the same thing as fixing leaks and actually preventing toxic air pollution. When I pointed this out to John he responded, “It seems that no matter what we do or try to do our actions are not good enough for you and your organization.” Well, no John, it’s not good enough. We are clear in our request and you are not addressing it.
John has not responded to a request for a meeting.
Pollution from Oil & Gas Facilities
Did you know that air quality in Northern Colorado has an “F” grade from the American Lung Association? We have not met EPA air quality standards since 2004, and pollution is getting worse.
State regulators know that air pollution is at a dangerous level. They know that leaks and failures in pollution controls at oil & gas sites contribute about 30-40% to the Front Range air pollution problem. But they don’t know where and when specific failures are happening. With over 80,000 oil & gas wells in Colorado, state inspectors cannot locate all the leaks that are endangering the public, and site operators cannot be relied on to find and fix leaks on their own.
The only way to prevent toxic air pollution from oil & gas development is either to shut the industry down or to detect leaks and repair them as they occur. Project Canary is company doing this for a handful of oil/gas wells in Colorado.
To address these problems, the following is necessary:
• Continuous air pollution monitoring is needed at oil/gas sites to detect and report emissions when and where they occur.
• Site operators need to be required to repair problems within 24 hours.
• Data need to be reported in real-time to a public website. This is critical not only for transparency and accountability, but also so families living near oil/gas can get an text alert and bring the kids inside when a pollution event occurs.
The Larimer County Commissioners made campaign promises to reduce pollution from fracking. We need to hold them accountable to their word.
Please email the Larimer Commissioners. Ask for:
-Leak Detection, Report & Repair at all oil&gas facilities.
-Real-time reporting of monitor data to a public website.
-Requirement that oil/gas well operators repair failing pollution controls within 24 hours of detection.
-Pause on all oil/gas drilling permits until these regulations are implemented.
Add anything else you like. Often it’s the personal touch that holds a commissioner’s attention.
Larimer County email for public comment. bocc@larimer.org
Response from Larimer County Commissioner John Kefalas, 12/29/21
Yesterday we had our CPIR work session that was mostly focused on updates to the oil and gas website, and there was discussion about air quality, and we will have a work session dedicated to this issue in early 2022. Our folks are gathering information and will provide options and recommendations. Thank you Fred.
That work session took place in February and staff presented their findings including an option very close to what we are asking for. We will need to remain vigilant as the process moves forward to insure that our goals are met. The big lift is going to be changing County regulations to require Leak Detection, Report & Repair (LDR&R) as part of regular operations at oil/gas facilities. This is something the operators should pay for, not the tax-payers. Why should we pay to maintain their equipment?
Additional Links
Petition to pause fracking during Covid
Boulder County Air Quality Monitor
Air Quality Control Commission.
Leaks need to be detected and repaired as soon as they occur.