Pollution from the oil and gas industry is putting people and the climate at risk. The passage of SB-181 in 2019 signaled recognition by elected leaders in Colorado that these problems must be addressed. However, state agencies that oversee oil and gas continue to fall short of taking the actions needed to prevent this harm.
Air pollution from oil and gas operations is invisible, making it easy for companies and regulators to dismiss public concerns and impacts on health and the climate. This is why Earthworks documents and exposes the real problems caused by the oil and gas industry. Our certified thermographers use optical gas imaging (OGI) to make visible the emissions of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) caused by intentional safety releases, equipment failures, and operator errors in oil and gas fields.