I applaud The Durango Herald for supporting the Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Land Management rules to cut methane waste and pollution. (Editorial, Herald, July 29.)
As a farmer working the land in Southwest Colorado, I believe responsible and sustainable development of our resources is imperative for our livelihoods, our health and the health of the land. If we abuse the resources we have, we can harm our local economy and the health of our communities over the long run.
Colorado has shown that we can indeed develop energy responsibly when it adopted state air rules that cut ozone-forming pollutants and methane, the primary component of natural gas. Two years later, we have seen the number of leaks drop and the amount of natural gas produced rise.
Yet, we cannot do this alone. The methane cloud that NASA discovered in 2014 is a regional problem. If New Mexico does not also address natural gas waste then the problem won’t be solved. The methane cloud does not recognize state lines. We are all in this together, and we need to act together.
That’s why efforts by the BLM and EPA that take a regional approach to cutting natural gas waste are so important. The agencies also support state action by recognizing state efforts that meet or exceed the new federal standards.
Unfortunately, U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, has opposed efforts to cut methane pollution and natural gas waste by the BLM. Not only will the rule help address regional air quality issues, it will also help ensure that we stop wasting natural gas resources on public lands – lands that are owned by the American taxpayer. This could generate tens of millions of dollars in new tax revenue every year and is extremely cost effective, as we have seen here in Colorado.
Let’s hope Tipton comes to his senses and backs these smart efforts to cut natural gas waste on our public lands. Efforts like this will, in turn, help protect the communities, the working lands and the livelihoods that also exist under the methane cloud.
Lee-Ann Hill
Mancos
