Existing Best Practices, Regulations and Rigorous Science Protects Public Health and Safety

DENVER, October 17, 2019 – Lynn Granger, executive director of the Colorado Petroleum Council, provided the following statement in response to the release of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) report, conducted by ICF, using modeled calculations instead of measured air quality data. 

“Protecting the health and safety of our workers, the communities where we operate, and the environment are our industry’s top priority,” said Executive Director Lynn Granger. “We put that in practice every day by employing thousands of scientists and engineers that are innovating, and safely producing, refining and delivering affordable energy to Americans in cleaner ways, with a smaller footprint and through the safest methods – and it’s working.

“As with all studies, we will evaluate the ICF modeling results, based on 2015 data. Thorough review of existing scientific research shows that the current, robust standards and stringent state and federal regulations are in place to protect public health. In fact, a 2017 publication by CDPHE reflected more than 10,000 air measurements and concluded that based on the current setback requirements there was no immediate need for a public health response. Using modeled exposures instead of measured air quality data introduces uncertainties and limitations that may result in erroneous estimates of risk for a population. As an industry we rely on data, facts and science and look forward to working with CDPHE and the COGCC on actual air monitoring in the future, which is what should be used when developing policy and regulations.

“Natural gas has led to a fundamental shift in the global energy landscape with this clean, affordable and abundant resource driving a triad of environmental progress, economic growth and human development.”

Even as the U.S. has become the world’s largest producer of natural gas and oil, we have seen dramatic drops in air emissions nationwide. In Colorado the natural gas and oil industry has taken a proactive, leadership role in reducing emissions. In concert with the state’s robust regulatory framework, Colorado was the first in the nation to develop regulations focused specifically on methane emissions from natural gas and oil operations. These regulations are estimated to reduce more than 60,000 tons of methane emissions per year, as well as reduce 92,000 tons of volatile organic compound emissions per year in Colorado.

The Colorado Petroleum Council is a division of API, which represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 600 members produce, process and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry supports more than ten million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization. In our first 100 years, API has developed more than 700 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.