EPA fines natural gas companies $9M for ozone-causing leaks

The Environmental Protection Agency and state regulators Thursday announced $9.25 million in fines for ozone-causing leaks by natural gas companies in Colorado and other Western states, while also demanding new equipment and repairs to stop the emissions. 

The fines and repairs will reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and leaks of volatile organic compounds and other ozone-causing chemicals in the nine-county northern Front Range nonattainment area, officials said, where the EPA has declared Colorado’s Front Range in “severe” violation of federal ozone limits. 

“EPA will continue to hold companies accountable as we deliver cleaner air for communities across the region,” EPA Region 8 Administrator KC Becker said in announcing the settlements. 

The…