Victory for clean air!

A big thank you to U.S. Sen. Michael Bennett (D-CO) for his recent vote to not rescind the Bureau of Landa Management methane rule. I appreciate his stand to protect Colorado's air quality, our health, and our quality of life. When released into the atmosphere, methane gas is especially destructive in contributing to greenhouse gasses and global warming. We need to be reducing our overall consumption of carbon, not increasing it, as a vote to rescind would have done.

Also, thanks to La Plata County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt for her leadership in speaking with Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), who also voted to protect our air. By speaking with him just before the vote she may have had sway in influencing his vote favorably.

I was disappointed to hear that Sen. Gardner (R-CO) and Rep. Tipton (R-CO) voted against Colorado's environment and in favor of gas and oil industry profit.

May we all breathe a sigh of relief (and clean air!) that this important protection will remain in place.

Ed Atkinson

Durango