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Business coalition in Colorado mobilizes against emissions bill

By Luige Del Puerto April 20, 2023 | updated 2 years ago

A coalition of business is mobilizing to oppose what it describes as a sweeping emissions proposal that would handicap not just Colorado’s oil and gas firms but also a host of other industries, including breweries and bakeries.

The Colorado Chamber of Commerce-led coalition also said a provision in the bill seeks to revive a proposal from two years ago that seeks to impose a “trip reduction” program on companies aimed at curbing vehicle emissions.

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“Make no mistake — this bill goes far beyond just the energy industry,” Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman said in statement, adding the proposal, House Bill 1294, would “create complex and costly new regulations on a broad range of businesses, from breweries and bakeries to hotels and warehouses.”

HB1294 proposes a host of changes to Colorado’s emissions regime. Among other provisions, the bill removes the prohibition against the Air Quality Control Commission adopting regulations that are “more stringent” than applicable federal law to cover indirect sources of emissions; allows anyone to bring a civil suit against an entity for violating Clean Air regulations; and, requires the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to investigate any complaint alleging a violation of a state law, rule, or order related to oil and gas — unless the complaint “clearly appears on its face to be trivial.”

The bill’s sponsors argue that Coloradans, particularly people of color and residents of low-income communities, have long suffered from high levels of ozone pollution, which is connected to severe health effects and premature death. 

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Featured Local Savings

Colorado House panel kills 'assault weapons' ban

The legislation says people of color and low-income Coloradans “bear outsized environmental burdens due to past and present discriminatory environmental policies, endure higher health risks from exposure, experience systemic injustice, and have faced exclusion from government decision-making and enforcement efforts.”

“All people have the right to breathe clean air, yet poor air quality frequently puts public health at risk in communities across Colorado, particularly in disproportionately impacted communities that are subjected to adverse cumulative impacts from multiple pollution sources,” the bill says. 

In a statement, the Colorado Chamber of Commerce said that more than 50 groups oppose the bill, notably local chambers and trade associations. 

“The Colorado business community has worked closely state officials in recent years to reduce emissions at a large scale, and we believe that we can improve our environment without sacrificing economic growth,” Furman said. “This bill not only moves the goal posts on emissions regulations at the expense of our business climate, but there’s little evidence it would actually make a significant impact on air quality. We’re asking lawmakers to keep Colorado competitive and oppose HB 1294.”

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An award-winning journalist, Luige serves as editor of Colorado Politics and The Denver Gazette. He previously covered politics in Arizona and wrote about national security in the Philippines, where he began his career in journalism.  

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