Thousands of air quality measurements have been taken near oil and natural gas sites in Colorado over the past decade, and no measurement attributable to oil and natural gas has been above EPA or Health and Human Services health guideline values, according to monitoring by the state, industry, and third parties. 

On October 17, 2019, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) released an oil and natural gas health effects study titled, Human Health Risk Assessment for Oil & Gas Operations in Colorado. This study follows CDPHE’s 2017 Assessment of Potential Public Health Effects from Oil and Gas Operations in Colorado. That earlier study reviewed more than 10,000 air samples in regions of Colorado where people are living near oil and natural gas development. It concluded that all measured air concentrations were below short- and long-term safe levels. 

​The State of Colorado is a national leader in its commitment to fostering safe and responsible development of Colorado’s oil and gas resources. Over the past 8 years Colorado has implemented precedent-setting regulations from baseline groundwater testing and monitoring to air regulations targeting methane leak detection and repair. 

Protecting the air we breathe is one of Colorado’s oil and natural gas industry’s highest priorities. This commitment to preserve the state’s air quality has resulted in VOC emissions decreasing by nearly 50% between 2011 and 2017, even as production quadrupled. In fact, the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) found that “new regulations and advancements in technology” have resulted in significant emission reductions.  (Updated 1.7.20)

​Colorado’s oil and natural gas industry continues to reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of ground-level ozone as part of its ongoing commitment to being good stewards of our natural resources and protecting the environment. (Updated 11/22/19)

​Safety is the top priority for Colorado’s oil and natural gas industry. We want nothing more than to ensure our community is a safe place to live, which is why companies often go above and beyond regulatory requirements to operate safely and responsibly.