Attorney General Phil Weiser vows to challenge federal rollback of methane standards

Aug. 29, 2019 (DENVER, Colo.)— Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser released the following statement regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that it will rollback standards for reducing methane emissions from oil and gas operations:

“In Colorado, we are proud of our collaborative efforts between state government, the oil and gas industry, and environmental groups to establish cutting-edge, fair, and effective regulations to reduce harmful methane emissions. In fact, Colorado’s regulations served as the model for the federal methane standards that have been in place since 2016.

“The EPA’s proposal to reverse these standards to curb methane emissions is misguided and ignores the requests from the oil and gas industry to keep them in place.

“Methane emissions don’t stop at state lines. As such, Colorado has a strong interest in regulating the release of this harmful greenhouse gas on a national level. As Attorney General, I am committed to protecting Colorado’s land, air, and water. To protect our state from the harmful effects of climate change and to protect air quality, Colorado will be part of a legal challenge to the EPA’s rollback of the methane standards.”

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