By: Laurie Anderson, Colorado Field Organizer, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: June 27, 2025
About: Proposed Compliance Extension on Section 111 Methane Rule
To: White House Office of Management and Budget
My name is Laurie Anderson. I am a Field Organizer with Moms Clean Air Force, and I live in Broomfield, Colorado. Thank you for this opportunity to share with you today.
I am a mom of five with my youngest now a teenager. We live about a half mile from a large-scale oil and gas development site with 18 horizontal wells and near several other well pads. Living on the frontlines of this industry has given my family a unique and urgent perspective.
Colorado is one of the top oil-producing states in the country, and we’ve long understood the need for commonsense protections against methane pollution. In fact, back in 2014, Colorado became the first state in the nation to adopt methane-specific rules, and we have remained a leader in methane protections—all while the industry has continued to thrive—proving that strong environmental protections don't hurt oil and gas profits. Despite Colorado’s existing protections, the EPA Methane Rule is important to our state, and I cannot underscore enough the urgency of implementing these protections in a timely manner.
This past February, Colorado began implementation of EPA’s 2024 methane standards when the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission voted unanimously to adopt state rules that include provisions to fully phase out the use of intentionally polluting equipment with a timeline of May 2027 for the majority of facilities (including facilities with the highest 50% of production) ahead of the March 2029 national compliance deadline—setting an example other states can follow to limit energy waste and protect communities from pollution. And what’s remarkable is not only was this rule supported by environmental and public health advocates, but it also had the support of the state’s two largest oil and gas trade associations. This kind of collaborative progress is something we should be building on, not slowing down.
Having just watched Colorado make such forward progress through a collaborative effort that provides industry certainty while continuing to make significant progress on emissions reductions, it makes no sense to extend the compliance deadline. Any attempt to delay the dates by which polluters must comply with commonsense protections means people living on the frontline of oil and gas development—like my community—will continue to be unnecessarily exposed to dangerous air pollution.
Methane is not just a by-product of industry—it’s a super-pollutant that is fueling the climate crisis. Here in Colorado, we’re already seeing the consequences: hotter, drier summers, intense wildfires, and decreased snowpack. Just a few years ago, the Marshall fire destroyed over 1,000 homes in nearby communities—in the middle of winter.
And it’s not just climate. Air pollution created by oil and gas operations contributes to ozone pollution, or smog, that can damage lungs and trigger asthma attacks. Broomfield is in the “severe” ozone nonattainment area that spans from Denver along the northern Front Range where the top contributor of ozone precursors is oil and gas operations. Ozone action days and climate impacts will likely intensify, if climate-changing pollution is not rapidly and effectively addressed.
We are fortunate in Colorado to have a state that is moving forward on strong methane protections. However, all children across the nation need these same protections and these federal rules really will make a difference—if the compliance date of 2029 is adhered to.
I remain in full support of the federal methane rule and its benefit that helps protect our children’s health and their future. Please do not extend the compliance deadlines. Thank you for your time.