One critic of the proposal said its aim was to ‘shame buyers’ for purchasing a product they need to get to work or to transport their kids to school.
Gas station owners and other retailers who sell fuel in Colorado could be whacked with a $20,000 fine if they don’t include labels warning consumers that by using the product they are harming the global climate, according to a bill proposed by state Democrats.
One of the sponsors of the bill, State Representative Junie Joseph, told National Review on Tuesday that encouraging Coloradans to bike or walk more is important because “everybody knows” burning fossil fuels contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. However, she struggled to explain then why it was imperative for the state to warn gas-buyers about a problem that she acknowledges they’re likely already aware of.
The bill, HB 25-1277, would require that by July 1, 2026, all Colorado gas pumps and retail containers include a label or sticker in at least 24-point font that reads, “Warning: Use of this product releases air pollutants and greenhouse gases, known by the state of Colorado to be linked to significant health impacts and global heating.” The labels would have to be “affixed in a conspicuous location” and “maintained in excellent condition,” the bill states.
Failure to include the label would be considered a deceptive trade practice under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, punishable by a civil penalty of up to $20,000, with the possibility of additional penalties for subsequent violations, according to a bill analysis.
“Providing consumers with information about the impact of fossil fuel consumption directly at the point of purchase may encourage consumers to reduce their consumption and to use alternative products when appropriate,” according to the bill, first reported on by the Denver Gazette.
Greg Fulton, president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, called the proposal “onerous, overreaching, and punitive” in a LinkedIn post. Gas station owners and fuel retailers could be at risk of a massive fine if the stickers simply weather, fall off due to poor adhesive, or are “peeled away by pranksters,” he wrote.
“Evidently the purpose of the bill is to shame buyers for purchasing a product necessary for them to use in many cases to transport their children to school, travel to work, or go to the grocery store,” he wrote. “Many lower and middle income families cannot afford an [electric vehicle] but why shame them for purchasing what constitutes a necessity in their life today.”
Joseph denied that she and the bill’s other Democratic sponsors, State Representative Jennifer Bacon and State Senator Lisa Cutter, are trying to shame gas buyers. She compared the proposed gas labels to labels on needed medications that warn people of potential side effects.
“We all know that oil and gas consumption contribute to greenhouse gas emission. I think even a baby can recite that,” she told National Review. “Everybody knows that, but awareness can lead to changed behavior.”
When asked why Colorado needs to create awareness of an alleged problem she acknowledges that everyone already knows about, she suggested that even more awareness could further encourage people to “ride bicycles and walk to places as well.”
Joseph acknowledged that she still drives a gas-powered car. “Not everyone can afford an electric vehicle at this time,” she said. “That’s not the point of the bill.”
Joseph said she believes most retailers would comply if the bill is passed, because “I believe most gas stations are owned by people who are law-abiding citizens.” When asked if she had concerns about retailers receiving big fines for a slip-up or if a customer peels a sticker off a pump, she said fixes could be on the way.
“We hear that concern, and we’re working on potential amendments.” She said. “Just stay tuned.”
Joseph was a sponsor of a 2023 bill signed by Governor Jared Polis that provides tax credits and discounts for electric vehicles, e-bikes, and heat pumps. She believes her proposed gas-pump-label requirement, combined with her previous green incentives “will have an impact” on the environment and it “will definitely lead to changed behaviors.”
But, she noted, “we run bills for Colorado, not the entire … world, not the entire nation.”
“We’re doing our part,” she said. “That’s the hope.”
Joseph’s bill, filed in late February, comes on the heels of measures passed by Denver city officials last month that restrict the building of new gas stations within a quarter mile of an existing retail station, a quarter mile of a light-rail station, and within 300 feet of a protected residential community, according to a Gazette report. Critics say the restrictions are unconstitutional, will create market instability, and harm investors.
Denver’s city-wide gas-station restrictions, of course, would not apply to non-public stations that fuel government fleets.