Environmental groups and three gas and oil companies \u2013 Encana, Anadarko and Noble Energy \u2013 hashed out the plan with Hickenlooper\u2019s senior staff.<\/p>\n
The proposed regulations would cut 92,000 tons of volatile organic compounds a year out of Colorado\u2019s air \u2013 equivalent to all the VOCs emitted by every car in the state, said Larry Wolk, director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all came together, really, in the name of health,\u201d Wolk said.<\/p>\n
But the rule still needs approval from the Air Quality Control Commission, and the gas and oil industry is not unanimously on board.<\/p>\n
Stan Dempsey, president of the Colorado Petroleum Association, was part of a larger group negotiating over the air pollution rule, but his group only found out about Hickenlooper\u2019s plan Monday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t even know about it,\u201d Dempsey said. \u201cThis came as a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dempsey said his group, which includes many of the state\u2019s oil companies, will review the proposed rule and decide how to engage the Air Quality Control Commission when it takes up the governor\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n
The health department estimates complying with the rule would cost the industry $30 million.<\/p>\n
Hickenlooper praised the companies that helped his staff craft the rule and attended Monday\u2019s news conference to unveil it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a genuine commitment. These are some of the larger companies in Colorado, and they understand there is a shared responsibility,\u201d Hickenlooper said.<\/p>\n
Dan Grossman, director of the regional chapter of the Environmental Defense Fund, praised the proposed rule as by far the strongest standard in the country for leak detection and repair of gas and oil equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe environmental concerns around oil and gas are real, and they impact Coloradans in a profound way,\u201d Grossman said.<\/p>\n
The plan proposes to require leak detection from tanks and pipelines using infrared cameras, more frequent inspections for leaks and a fast timeline for repairs. It would make Colorado the first state to require leak prevention for a wide variety of hydrocarbons, including methane.<\/p>\n
Methane is a common and potent greenhouse gas, but methane and other hydrocarbons can also cause breathing problems in sensitive people, Wolk said.<\/p>\n
Volatile organic compounds can lead to ground-level ozone pollution, and parts of the state are in danger of violating federal ozone standards.<\/p>\n
The Air Quality Control Commission is scheduled to study the proposal in February.<\/p>\n