I’m writing to express my concern about the vote on the BLM methane rule using the Congressional Review Act to overturn it.
As residents of Southwest Colorado, we know that the naturally occurring methane in our area is both a resource and a nuisance.
Methane is a colorless, odorless natural gas which is emitted during oil and gas production and naturally occurring from the Fruitland formation that surrounds our community. These methane emissions affect both air quality and human health.
Colorado has become the first state in the nation to directly regulate fugitive oil and gas methane emissions.
Due to this ruling, methane has been contained and sold, which has financially benefited our community and created jobs in methane mitigation.
Additionally, this rule has reduced both methane emissions and smog-forming volatile organic compounds from the air. As methane mitigation technology advances, this rule will only continue to benefit us in the future.
Unfortunately, use of the CRA has been presented to overturn the BLM methane rule. The use of this act will not only overturn this rule, it will disallow any similar rule to be developed and implemented in the future.
The BLM methane rule has done nothing but benefit our state, and the effects of overturning it using the CRA will be detrimental.
I urge Durango Herald readers to contact Rep. Scott Tipton and Sen. Cory Gardner to discourage their vote against the BLM methane rule.
Alexandria Crooks
Durango
