The Energy Council takes issue with April 24 Herald story, “La Plata County receives an ‘F’ for ozone levels.”
The story implies that the reason for unhealthy ozone days is emissions from power plants and “oil and gas operations, such as nitrogen oxides and methane.” Put simply, methane is not a chemical constituent that creates ozone.
Chemistry 101: Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which do not include methane, when in the presence of sunlight, create a chemical reaction that produces ozone.
While methane emissions from oil and gas operations are a part of the emission profile of the basin, emissions from motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, industrial facilities, chemical solvents and electric utilities represent far more significant sources of NOx and VOCs. In fact, the Four Corners Air Quality Task Force found that most of the ozone, NOx and VOCs in La Plata County come from international transport, stratospheric intrusions and other natural sources.
The oil and gas industry here is constantly striving to operate safely, responsibly and with the highest environmental standards in the state and the country. We should not promote studies that manipulate basic facts.
Christi Zeller The Energy Council
Durango
