DENVER — Democratic lawmakers just unveiled sweeping changes to address air pollution in three new bills today.
They're changes that would alter oil and gas production and drivers' habits.
Senate Bill 24-166 increases air quality enforcement violations for repeat violators, like Suncor’s Commerce City refinery.
Another air pollution solution bill would expand the current ozone season two extra months. Ozone season is from June 1 to Aug. 31. One of the bills, Senate Bill 24-165, would make it May 1 to Sept. 30. That same bill would also restrict oil and gas preproduction (drilling) during that time period unless the operation was completely electric.
That bill would also require the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to come up with ways to reduce vehicle miles traveled, meaning reduce your car usage.
“It really is about making more options, making them more attractive, making them work better for people in their daily lives,” CDOT Communications Director Matt Inzeo said.
CDOT has been studying ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but appears to be concentrated on encouraging more transit rides, a future Front Range Rail and expanded Bustang service.
CDOT is adding new Bustang stops along I-25 in northern Colorado to allow easier pick-up and drop-off just off the highway without having to lose too much travel time.
“The more time that you can save at those boardings, the more that a bus trip really starts to compete pretty well with a car trip,” Inzeo said.
The bills are meant to better air quality in the Denver Metro area, south to almost Colorado Springs and north to the Colorado-Wyoming line north of Fort Collins and Greeley.
“We can produce this energy in this state while simultaneously lowering emissions. These policies ignore that reality and use a hammer approach to eliminate our industry,” Director of American Petroleum Institute Colorado Kait Schwartz said.
“My hope is that we can get cleaner air quality at zero cost to the citizens of the state of Colorado,” State Sen. Kevin Priola, D-Henderson, said.
Priola is a sponsor of the bill to expand the ozone season, limit oil and gas drilling and alter driver behavior.
“There's no preconceived outcome, we just really want CDOT to look at it, look at the options, look what's been done in other states, other parts of the world,” Priola said. “Vehicle miles traveled is contributing to the Front Range being out of compliance with EPA. It's affecting ozone, air quality, people's health. So that's why it's a component of the bill.”
He is term-limited and will not be a lawmaker when CDOT presents its suggestions. He would not make his own recommendations when asked.
“Hopefully, they'll come up with something very creative that helps address the issues we're dealing with along the front range with air quality and traffic,” Priola said.
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