Colorado regulators confirm oil & gas health impacts

Colorado regulators confirm oil & gas health impacts Press Release by
Earthworks Oct 17, 2019

CONTACTS:
Alan Septoff, (202) 271-2355, email hidden; JavaScript is required
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Earthworks calls for CO to pause oil and gas permits threatening homes, schools and public areas.

Statement of Earthworks’ Energy Program Director Bruce Baizel on health study released by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment today:

“Colorado regulators have finally confirmed what communities, Earthworks own staff in the field, and scientists — including the Colorado School of Public Health — have been asserting for years: oil and gas production near homes and communities puts human health at risk.

“The state of Colorado’s acknowledgment of this threat demands immediate action.

“Colorado regulators must, at a minimum, pause permitting for any drilling activity within 2000 feet of any home, school or public activity area. It must also begin to monitor comprehensively emissions from existing oil and gas production sites while it works to fully implement the reforms passed by the legislature last year.”

BACKGROUND

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) has responded by mapping out key steps for action in response to these findings.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, however, has failed to announce to any immediate action.

• LINK to optical gas image of methane and health-hazardous air pollution at Extraction – Coyote Trails, Weld County, CO (Aug 2018)
• LINK to optical gas image of methane and health-hazardous air pollution at Great Western – Schneider, Weld County, CO (Sept 2019) 
• LINK to oil and gas threat map that shows nearly a quarter million Coloradans within a ½ mile threat radius of oil and gas development, more than 50,000 of them school children, 
• Link to Earthworks Press Release on EPA hearing in Dallas on October 17th, 2019 regarding Trump Administration rollbacks to national oil and gas methane standards.

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Earthworks is dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the adverse impacts of mineral and energy development while seeking sustainable solutions.

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Twitter: earthworks
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Refer also to:

The study, 380 pages

New Colorado Frac Study showing health harms. Industry official: “There are no long-term health impacts related to oil and gas development.” *Impossible* for any official to know that. If frac’ing causes short-term health harm via toxic chemicals, and harmed people continue living frac’d and poisoned by venting, flaring, leaking facilities, wells, uncleaned up spills as often happens in frac fields, the health harms become long-term

Colorado study shows toxic chemicals up to 2,000 feet from frac sites; Benzene (carcinogen), toluene (neurotoxin, notably damages the brain in children) and ethyltoluenes found at up to **10 times** recommended levels 500 feet from frac operations. “Secret exposure to chemicals that our own EPA reports as a potential hazard to human health is unconscionable.”