RIFLE, Colo. (AP) — Colorado air-quality regulators have announced plans to consider changes to oil and gas regulations after hearing opinions from residents and industry officials.
The state Air Quality Control Commission heard opinions Tuesday in Rifle City Council chambers about whether proposed regulation changes should be uniform statewide or less strict outside of the Front Range, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported Tuesday.
Counties on the Front Range are currently in nonattainment with the federal ozone standard and strict oil and gas regulations are already in place, officials said. The proposed rules would increase restrictions that are uniform across the state, regulators said.
The regulations would require leak detection monitoring across the state twice a year for oil and gas wells emitting at least 4,000 pounds (2 tons) of volatile organic compounds a year, regulators said. Regulations would also strengthen statewide requirements for reducing emissions from storage tanks and require that companies provide annual emission reports, officials said.
The commission is expected to deliberate the proposed changes next week, officials said.
