Pneumatic Controllers Task Force

In December 2017, the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) revised Regulation Number 7 and directed the creation of a task force consisting of representatives from industry, the Division, local governments, environmental groups, and other interested parties, to assess the maintenance and use of pneumatic controllers (PCs) in the oil and gas industry.

The Pneumatic Controller Task Force (PCTF) convened for the first time on January 25, 2018. The group held bi-weekly meetings for several months to develop and design an in-depth study of pneumatic controllers in the Denver-Julesburg basin. Field inspections of oil and gas production facilities selected for the study started on May 1, 2018. Afterwards, meetings were held bi-monthly to check on the progress of field inspections and updates on data management until the data was submitted to the Division in December 2018.

The group met in January 2019 to discuss initial data analysis, finalize the project plan, and revisit goals. The PCTF briefed the AQCC on February 21, 2019 on its progress. Throughout the spring of 2019, industry PCTF members developed and responded to questionnaires to document and assess the effectiveness and costs of inspection techniques as well as to understand opportunities for expanded use of no-bleed PCs. In December 2019, the AQCC directed the PCTF to continue working to evaluate the use of non-emitting pneumatic devices and to bring back recommendations on the use of non-emitting pneumatic devices.

The findings and recommendations of the PCTF were finalized in June 2020. The PCTF Final Report can be found in the links below.

Data from the PCTF was used to inform the non-emitting pneumatic controller rulemaking in February 2021. More information about the requirements of this rulemaking can be found on the factsheet below.