John Hickenlooper on Environment Democratic Presidential Challenger (withdrew, Aug. 2019); CO Governor

Adopted low-emission vehicle standards, methane standards

John Hickenlooper: As governor, adopted low-emission vehicle standards and developed tough methane standards, but fought restrictions on oil drilling near homes and schools.

Corey Gardner: Voted to repeal EPA rules regulating methane emissions on public lands. Repeal wetlands and waterway protection. Open Alaska wildlife refuge to oil and gas drilling.

Support nuclear power

FIVE CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Cory Booker; Peter Buttigieg; John Delaney; John Hickenlooper; Amy Klobuchar; Andrew Yang.

Many environmentalists and scientists believe it will be impossible to decarbonize the power sector and fight climate change without maintaining nuclear power, because it offers more capacity than renewables and is more reliable to dispatch since it does not rely on the wind or sunshine.

Toughest methane regulations in the country

Solve problem of disposal of high-level radioactive waste

Hickenlooper: Yes, but there has to be a stronger effort to solve the problem of disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

Watershed cleanup shouldn't always meet fed. standards

Start methane capture rule; finish Water Plan

If words were water the state would never run dry. Our budget is requesting a second year of funding to help create cleaner water for Colorado. This year we will complete the Colorado Water Plan, which will emphasize conservation, address incremental storage, and address drought mitigation. We must create alternative choices to buy-and-dry. No matter where we live, we cannot afford to let our farm and ranch land dry up.

Develop federal land instead of protecting the sage grous

His critics received some of these efforts coolly. The Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer said she wasn't happy with Hickenlooper's answer when asked if he would scrap the renewable energy law. He said opponents were welcome to introduce bills to modify it. But she said she hopes that after all the turmoil recently, "he will at least listen better this year, this time around."

Supports Obama's "Great Outdoors" conservation ethic

Water policy: Collaboration, Conservation and Capacity

We need to understand that water is critically important to every part of the state. We must continue to develop processes that allow resolution of the many conflicts over water that exist across the state, bringing individuals, communities, businesses, organizations together to work out comprehensive solutions.