Category Archives: Boulder County

Air quality monitoring, AQCC, Boulder County, Environmental damage from O&G, Larimer County Climate Smart Initiative, Ozone pollution in Front Range

Remarks to Boulder County Commissioners, December 19, 2024

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The words below are, more or less, what I said to the Boulder County Commissioners when I participated via Zoom at their meeting. I was the only person who spoke during the public comment period. My participation was audio only. The main meeting topic was about their public housing, so I’m sure my comments must have caught them by surprise, and all three of them looked a bit miffed as I delivered my three minute tirade:

Good morning commissioners and staff: 

My name is Rick Casey, and I’m a resident of Fort Collins. However, I did live in Boulder County for several decades before I moved to Fort Collins in 2018. Since 2009, I have taught a class in environmental economics at Front Range, and have been involved in local environmental activism  since 2012. I support five websites related to those issues, through which I’ve gained some perspective on these complex problems. So I am speaking today on behalf of the Larimer Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the health and well being of Larimer County from the O&G industry. 

I wish to speak to you regarding your recent decision to stop funding the Boulder AIR monitoring program. I think this is quite a wrong decision, which has come as quite a shock to the environmental community in the area. 

This is not the time to stop monitoring our air quality. If anything, the need to do so will be increasing, not decreasing. The incoming Trump administration is poised to promote more drilling, weaken regulations on the industry, and, in general, increase the rate at which we are polluting the environment at a national level – and this is sure to have its effects on us at the local level. 

As a rather striking example of just how valuable this program is, it is my understanding that the methane data collected at the Boulder Reservoir station was instrumental in influencing the passage of new and stronger regulations in 2021 by the Air Qualty Control Commission that mandated improvements in O&G field operations. The new regulations mandated the use of pneumatic valves, which could reduce the amount of fugitive methane. This was a non-partican, multi-group effort that included both industry and environmental advocates. Since the implementation of these new valves, I have heard that – lo and behold! – the methane readings are indicating that the amounts of the fugitive gas have…indeed…decreased. 

Now this success story should not be cause for concluding that the need for monitoring is over. Until the amount of wells in Weld Country goes down dramatically, that need will never be over; and, if anything, this new administration worries me that the need will increase dramatically. 

Another reason I would be sad to see the Boulder station be retired is because I and my colleagues in the Larimer Alliance are trying to get our county commissioners to support getting a Boulder AIR station up here in Larimer County. We believe the other four Boulder AIR stations, if combined with a fifth station in Larimer County, would be highly effective in a detailed analysis of the sources of air pollution, and then be used to inform the best policies to address it. 

BECAUSE LIKE THE OLD ADDAGE SAYS: YOU CAN’T MANAGE WHAT YOU DON’T MEASURE!

So I hope you can understand why we feel the Boulder monitoring program is still needed. 

Thank you.

Air quality monitoring, Boulder County, CDPHE, Environmental damage from O&G, General Environmental Reference, Local government (city & county)

What will become of Boulder’s air quality program?

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As you may have heard, the Boulder County Commissioners have decided to drop support for their air quality monitoring program in 2025. This is unfortunate, since this hardly seems appropriate. The air quality in the Front Range has been getting worse, not better, so removing this key data gathering point would weaken the ability of the Boulder community to argue for improving it. It could also weaken regional support from neighboring jurisdictions for their own programs — such as we want to get here in Larimer County.

The Boulder AIR monitoring at the Boulder Reservoir was the first such program to go into operation in September 2017. It did not have a specific mandate other than to notify the county Health Department if it spotted a specific threat to the environment.

One such threat is methane, or natural gas, a key GHG because it is more potent that carbon dioxide in causing global warming. By providing key data about methane emissions detected there from 2017 to 2019, this furnished the Colorado legislature with sufficient information to enact statewide rules in 2020 that mandated adoption of better control valves that let less methane escape during wellsite operations. (See ‘Colorado Passed the Nations First Regulations on Pneumatic Controllers‘, Colorado Local Science Network, March 2021). 

Dr Helmig, CEO of Boulder AIR, informed me of the findings from the air monitoring, which I would otherwise have been quite unaware. How the state legislature discovered that O&G operations could reduce their methane leaks by using better valves remains a mystery; but the point is that Boulder’s monitoring station provided the key information that was needed. It provided the impetus needed to focus on the specific pollution source; and, since then, has quantified how much that pollution source has been reduced.

None of this would be possible, of course, if such accurate, reliable and comprehensive (in terms of continuous time measurements) data were not available. If anything, Boulder County should be continuing its air quality program, and working with the other Boulder AIR monitoring stations to improve their identification of the specific sources of our air pollution.

The commissioners may say, no doubt, that they justify the elimination of the program based on its cost. (Such Boulder AIR stations cost about $250 thousand a year to operate.) While it is easy to identify the cost of this operation, it is more difficult to identify the benefits; but the benefits are there. In the previous article mentioned above, it estimated that such valves caused “29% of the oil industry air emissions nationally”; which, according to the EPA, “estimates that these devices emit nearly 2 million tons of methane a year into the air nationwide.” That sounds like sound benefits to me; but, of course, those are benefits the Boulder county commissioners seem to have a hard time seeing.

I would note that Broomfield dropped its support for their Boulder AIR station before too. In October 2023, a divided council narrowly voted to end that program, based on suggestions from its city manager, Jennifer Hoffman. But after much public outcry and testimony in the following months, the council reversed its decision, and the Boulder AIR stations (Soaring Eagle and North Pecos) were restored later in 2024.

The Boulder commissioners might want to examine what happened in Broomfield before making their decision. There is an undeniable need for such monitoring to protect our public health; what is in question is the political will of our local officials to supply it.

Boulder County, General Environmental Reference, Local government (city & county), New Ft Collins O&G regs, New O&G regs for Larimer Cty, SB-181

The story of how Boulder County succeeded in defeating Extraction Energy’s attempt at a forced pooling

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This story below comes from John McDonaugh, whom I asked if I could publish his comments on this issue, which was announced in a press release by Boulder County on May 4, 2023, which can be read at:

Boulder County Declares Victory on Highly Contested Application to Drill County-Owned Minerals

This is why the Larimer Alliance continues to encourage Larimer County to take a similar tough stand with the O&G industry. We all know we must transition away from fossil fuels — the sooner the better — yet this industry continues to attempt to new drill new wells — even attempting to force Boulder County into a forced pooling. So here is the back story on how Boulder Country succeeded in this particular case. –Rick Casey

Yes, Boulder’s success demonstrates the power and necessity of hope and commitment. However, their victory in this hard-fought battle required more than that:  Boulder played smart. They played tough. They didn’t acquiesce to half-measures or settle for political green-washing or low-hanging fruit (battery lawn tool rebates, anyone?).  They utilized a multi-prong approach that combined education, direct action, political pressure, creative regulatory drafting, savvy legal maneuvering, and “bottom-line” awareness with a relentless, unwavering focus on their ultimate objective:  Prevent O&G development in Boulder County.  

Take a closer look at the sequence.  Extraction Energy initially (c. 2017) pressed for 32 O&G wells and ancillary facilities to be located on Boulder County land.  Boulder firmly opposed the project and supported the enactment of SB 19-181 which gave local governments broad authority to regulate O&G development. Once SB 19-181 became law, Boulder County promptly undertook drafting and enactment of well-crafted, extremely powerful, local O&G regs.  Once in place, those strong local O&G regs undercut Extraction’s legal position, and rendered the proposed in-County O&G development (and Extraction’s battle to approve it) infeasible and uneconomic.  

Extraction Energy then attempted to develop Boulder County’s O&G resources via directional drilling from the Blue Paintbrush pad located just on the Weld County side of the Weld/Boulder County line.  Extraction figured that since SB 19-181 only allowed local governments to regulate the surface impacts of O&G development (and Weld County was, as always, in favor of the development) they could avoid compliance with the Boulder County regs by moving the O&G surface facilities outside Bounder County’s jurisdiction.  However, regs aside, Extraction still needed to acquire the subsurface mineral rights below Boulder County land.  Once again, Boulder County and its residents held firm to their objective and overwhelmingly rejected Extraction’s mineral rights purchase offer.    

But Extraction Energy wasn’t finished.  They next went to the COGCC seeking a “Forced Pooling” order which would require Boulder County to allow Extraction to develop the minerals as part of Extraction’s broader reservoir development plan. Boulder County and its residents then fought Extraction’s Forced Pooling attempt on multiple fronts:  politically (via proposed anti-FP legislation), administratively, legally, and in the “court of public opinion”.  They ultimately prevailed (at least until another oil company effort comes along).  However, Boulder County leaders and residents now know they can — through focused diligence, savvy strategies, and hard work —prevail against O&G industry overreach.  Equally important, so do the oil companies…who will likely look elsewhere for “greener pastures” and “easier pickings” the next time around.  Why play the Kansas City Chiefs when you can play the Chicago Bears? 

Boulder County and its residents showed what it takes. Playing against oil companies and their political enablers is tough.  It’s often unpleasant.  It’s taxing on multiple personal and professional levels. The other side is smart, well-financed, well-connected, and extremely tenacious. They will press their objectives, irrespective of the broader public good, until they encounter firm and effective resistance. The knife goes in until it meets steel. That’s not “cynicism”, it’s reality.  

If we environmental advocates truly do our jobs, some folks — including some folks in power and, sadly, even some so-called “environmentalists” — won’t like us very much.  However, if we remain true to our course, play smart, build and leverage effective coalitions, and call out industry BS and political inaction when necessary, they will respect us and will fear what we may accomplish. And, to my mind, that’s far more important to our world, to our community, and to the most vulnerable among us. 

If a community and its leaders settle for empty promises, election-year greenwashing, unrelated low-hanging fruit (e.g. a few more bike racks, EV chargers, lawn tool rebates), and other placebos that won’t move the climate change, ozone, and toxic emissions needle, they will get exactly what they deserve.  The oil industry will see to that.  

Boulder County and its residents showed us the way. Let’s heed and learn from their example. 

Thanks for all you and LA have done and continue to do in our “neck of the woods” on this critical issue.  Keep up the good fight!  

—  John McDonagh

John is another Old Retired Guy who lives in Fort Collins (and a former state government enforcement attorney, oil industry regulator, oil industry senior counsel, and Federal agency senior environmental counsel).