Congratulations Denver, You Have Strong Smog Reductions!

At the close of an unprecedented Sunday hearing, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission voted yesterday to reject a state- industry compromise and adopt stronger smog reductions for the Denver metro area. The new rule requires the oil and gas industry to reduce emissions of smog forming pollution from over 5,000 condensate tanks north of Denver by 75%, rather than 73.3% as originally proposed.

Why did the Air Quality Control Commission adopt stronger smog reductions? Simple. Because the oil and gas industry has so far failed to meet current requirements that require reductions in smog forming pollution from condensate tanks. While required to reduce daily emissions by 47.5%, many companies have failed to consistently meet this requirement. For example, this last summer, only 43% of the oil and gas companies operating north of Denver met the required 47.5% reduction in smog forming pollution on a daily basis. That's a compliance rate of less than 50%!

Smog is a serious health threat in the Denver metro area. This last summer, smog levels exceeded federal health standards 66 times. That's 66 times last summer that children, seniors, and others from Greeley on south to Littleton were warned that the air they were breathing was unhealthy. The fact that the oil and gas industry utterly failed to meet required reductions in smog forming pollution only added to last summer's excessive ozone pollution.

Recognizing this, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission adopted a rule that requires additional reductions in smog forming pollution in order to account for the likelihood that the oil and gas industry will not full comply with the required reductions. In essence, the 75% reduction provides a safety cushion.

The new rule also amounts to an over 50% increase in pollution reductions. This is an important step forward for clean air and community health in the Denver metro area. Although the oil and gas industry has called the reductions bittersweet, we'd prefer to call them a breath of fresh air.

Congratulations Denver! Hopefully we will all breathe a bit easier in 2007 and beyond!