News

The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and Colorado Energy Office (CEO) have opened the Charge Ahead Colorado application for electric vehicle (EV) and charging station funding. At this time, RAQC has funding for both charging stations and EVs for applicants within the Denver Metro Area. CEO has funding for charging stations for applicants outside the Denver Metro Area. All charging stations are required to be networked.

An application guide, informational webinar, application and other grant resources can be found on the Charge Ahead Colorado Homepage.

In recognition of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)  Air Quality Awareness Week, the RAQC – in partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) – joined Governor Polis’ proclamation of April 29-May 3, 2019, to be Air Quality Awareness Week (AQAW) in Colorado, encouraging people to use the Air Quality Index to understand actions they can take when air quality is poor, and make strides to improve the overall outdoor air quality.

Included in the proclamation and in partnership with the RAQC’s Simple Steps. Better Air. public outreach and education program, CDPHE aims to empower and motivate Coloradans to help in reducing harmful air pollutants by eliminating or combining car trips, carpooling, taking public transportation, walking and biking, using low-emission vehicles, mowing the lawn and refueling their car in the evening.

You can read the full proclamation here.

The RAQC’s Simple Steps. Better Air. (SSBA) public education and outreach program recently received two awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) – the largest organization in the country for public relations and communications professionals. The first was a “Gold Pick” award in the “Community Relations” category for the overall SSBA program and campaign. The second was a “Silver Pick” award in the “Creative Tactics” category for the RAQC’s TV Meteorologist Advisory Group.

The RAQC is pleased to announce the addition of two new staff members, Lindsey Young and Jessica Ferko! Lindsey joined the RAQC in March 2019 as the Administrative Coordinator. In this role, she is responsible for clerical and administrative duties, including accounting functions, and she assists staff with program administration functions, including local, state and federal grants, projects and initiatives, and the RAQC’s websites. Jessica joined the RAQC in April 2019 as an Air Quality Planner/Analyst, and she works under the direction of the Technical Program Manager, and in collaboration with internal and external staff, to perform specialized work in air quality planning, control strategy evaluation, and stakeholder engagement. Please join us in welcoming our new staff members!

Click here for all staff biographies.

On May 1st, the RAQC, City of Lone Tree and Rampart Range Metropolitan District will celebrate five new electric vehicle charging stations being made available to the community, including a next-generation DC Fast Charger. Find more information and rsvp here.

In an effort to keep interested stakeholders informed of current happenings with RAQC programs, partners, and air quality news and events, the RAQC created “The Air Monitor” quarterly e-newsletter. You can read the second issue here. If you are interested in subscribing to the newsletter, sign up here or contact Sara Goodwin at sgoodwin@raqc.org.

In recognition of Earth Day – April 22, 2019 – the RAQC’s Simple Steps. Better Air. (SSBA) team partnered with VF Corporation’s Colorado Classic Pro-Women Cycling Race on their announcement that the race has been awarded “Certifiably Green” status by the City of Denver. No other bike race in the state of Colorado has received this designation and the Colorado Classic is the largest event in Colorado to receive this certification. Get more information on the announcement here. The SSBA team is also collaborating with the Colorado Classic to participate in race-day activities, which will be August 22-25 in the Denver area.

The City of Fort Collins, in partnership with Colorado State University, is unveiling a one-of-a-kind Ozone Monitoring Station. This innovative exhibit features a solar powered ozone monitor installed in a bench, which will be surrounded by plants that can be damaged by ozone. Attendees will see how this technology will teach families in the community about poor air quality and the importance of ozone alerts, especially for protecting vulnerable populations. Click here for a schematic of the Ozone Monitoring Station.

Details of the ribbon-cutting event are:

Monday, April 15th at 3:00 PM
Gardens on Spring Creek
2145 Centre Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80526

RSVP for the event here.

Today, Governor Jared Polis released a statement on the state’s decision to withdraw a request to extend the attainment date for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard. This extension would have given Colorado additional time to come into compliance with the health-based standard.

You can read the press release here, and the full letter here.

Click here for the finalized version of the Denver Metro/North Front Range Fuel Supply Impacts and Compliance Costs for Refiners and Consumers report.