This was written by Laurie Anderson, Moms Clean Air Force Colorado Field Organizer.
I moved to Colorado seven years ago seeking a healthy lifestyle, outdoor recreation, and beautiful sunny days. I had no idea that I would be living with large-scale oil and gas drilling in my neighborhood and subjecting my family to its serious health impacts. And yet, I am not alone in this ordeal. In Colorado, 320,000 people—including 23,000 children under five years old—live within a half mile of active oil and gas operations and may be exposed to elevated levels of toxic pollution.
As an advocate with Moms Clean Air Force, I recently traveled to Washington, DC, with my 12-year-old son to share our stories on the need for swift action to reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas industry with the Biden administration. We were joined by other impacted residents from New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia who also support comprehensive methane rules. The week was full of encouraging conversations, yet until action is taken, this unnecessary climate pollution will continue.
As a mother of five living with oil and gas development, I support EPA’s rule to cut methane and other harmful pollutants from oil and gas operations across the country. Climate change is already impacting our families and communities in Colorado through extreme weather events, hotter summers, aridification, and decreased snowpack. It was just over one year ago that the Marshall fire ripped through neighboring communities burning over 1,000 homes in the dead of winter. With each new “Red Flag” day, where high winds and fire danger coincide, our communities relive the very real danger of another destructive scenario.
Our home in Broomfield lies in an area that spans from Denver along the northern Front Range, where we have many days that our air is unhealthy to breathe. Colorado recently approved a State Implementation Plan that admittedly will not attain EPA’s air quality standards. Plus, the plan acknowledges that contributions from the oil and gas sector were substantially underestimated requiring even further action. Ongoing heat waves only exacerbate the air pollution problem. And it will only get worse if climate pollution is not rapidly and effectively addressed.
One of the things that keeps me up at night is the realization that my oldest daughter, now in college, faces ongoing respiratory issues that resulted from years of running outdoors breathing unhealthy air. As she undergoes further medical analysis, it’s becoming clear that running cross country in high school was likely harmful to her lungs. Keeping our children indoors is not the answer. Moms like myself envision a healthier Colorado where our kids are safe to run and play outdoors.
Colorado and New Mexico have recently adopted rules that eliminate routine venting and flaring, a wasteful practice that releases methane and carbon dioxide into the environment—contributing to the climate crisis. The simple truth is that air pollution knows no boundaries, and Colorado and New Mexico cannot be the only ones to address these issues. These same enhanced regulations to reduce methane pollution can be effectively implemented across the country, just as they have been here in Colorado and New Mexico, and should be included in the final EPA rule.
Importantly, EPA has built on the hard work of Colorado regulators and proposed to fully phase out the use of intentionally polluting equipment known as pneumatic devices. This zero-emission equipment will benefit air quality on the Front Range and the health of those living near oil and gas wells across the state.
Although there is still much work to be done, my family is fortunate to live in a state taking steps to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations. These federal methane rules will help ensure children across the nation receive these same protections since not all states are proactively implementing much needed changes. I hope that EPA will act with the urgency the moment demands and swiftly finalize this rule. We have no time to waste.
TELL EPA: PROTECT OUR FAMILIES FROM HARMFUL OIL AND GAS POLLUTION