Health Risks in Colorado from Oil and Gas Air Pollution

The document details the health impacts of oil and gas air pollution in Colorado, noting that over 380,000 people in six counties face cancer risks exceeding EPA levels of concern. It highlights that more than 32,000 children annually suffer asthma attacks due to industry-related ozone, with significant concentrations in the Denver area and Northern Front Range. While Colorado has implemented regulations, the report argues that federal standards are essential because state measures cannot control pollution drifting from Utah and New Mexico or emissions on tribal lands.

• Over 380,000 people living in six Colorado counties face cancer risks that exceed the EPA's level of concern due to toxic gases from the oil and gas industry.
• Ozone pollution from the oil and gas industry causes more than 32,000 childhood asthma attacks per year in Colorado, with over 60% of these occurring in the Northern Front Range and Denver area.
• In western Colorado, Eagle, Garfield, and Mesa counties experience over 2,200 childhood asthma attacks annually, while La Plata county in southern Colorado sees 660 attacks per year, both attributed to oil and gas emissions including those from outside the state.
• Adults in Colorado experience more than 69,000 person-days of restricted activity linked to breathing higher levels of pollution from the oil and gas industry.
• According to 2011 EPA data, oil and gas companies in Colorado emitted over 3,300 tons of hazardous toxic air pollution, including benzene, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde, while neighboring operations in New Mexico and Utah emitted over 2,000 additional tons.

APA

Graham, J., & McCabe, D. (2017). Health Risks in Colorado from Oil and Gas Air Pollution. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/21094054/CATF_FactSheet_HealthEffects_CO.pdf

Chicago

Graham, John, and David McCabe. Health Risks in Colorado from Oil and Gas Air Pollution. Clean Air Task Force, 2017. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/21094054/CATF_FactSheet_HealthEffects_CO.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Graham |first1=John |last2=McCabe |first2=David |title=Health Risks in Colorado from Oil and Gas Air Pollution |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=February 2017 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/21094054/CATF_FactSheet_HealthEffects_CO.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{graham2017health, author = {Graham, John and McCabe, David}, title = {{Health Risks in Colorado from Oil and Gas Air Pollution}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/21094054/CATF_FactSheet_HealthEffects_CO.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }