News

On July 14th, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced that the state is signing a multi-state Memorandum of Understanding to work collaboratively to advance the market for electric trucks and buses. The agencies also announced a public process to work with the industry and community stakeholders to develop a broad set of strategies to reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. With transportation now the largest source of air pollution in Colorado — and with our economy increasingly reliant on freight, as exemplified during the COVID-19 crisis — it is critical that the state develop a thoughtful and balanced approach that provides a pathway for emissions reductions from this key sector.

You can read the press release here.

In response to being reclassified to a Serious ozone nonattainment area by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), effective January 2020, the RAQC, in close coordination with the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division and EPA Region 8 staff, have developed a draft Serious State Implementation Plan for the Denver Metro and North Front Range Ozone Nonattainment Area under the 2008 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard.

At this time, the RAQC is requesting the public review the draft plan and provide comment. Written comment can be submitted through July 31, 2020 at sipcomments@raqc.org. Oral comments will be accepted at the RAQC’s August meeting, and are limited to three minutes per person. Please email  sipcomments@raqc.org by August 5th if you plan to submit oral testimony.

In an effort to reduce ground-level ozone and improve air quality in the Denver Metro/North Front Range areas, the RAQC and our program partners are excited to launch a new Mow Down Pollution – Lawn Mower Exchange program with The Home Depot! The RAQC will offer $150 vouchers to people who choose to recycle and replace their gas-powered lawn mowers with rechargeable or corded electric lawn mowers at participating Home Depots. 

Get more information at the Mow Down Pollution program website and flyer.

The RAQC’s Simple Steps. Better Air. (SSBA) team is excited to launch a refreshed SimpleStepsBetterAir.org! The objective of the website facelift is to give audiences a more user-friendly and contemporary experience with updated content, imagery and SSBA partnership information. Please note, you may need to refresh your browser to see the new site.

Yesterday, Governor Polis announced the Can Do Colorado Community Challenge, an extension of Can Do Colorado, which spotlights and supports innovative businesses that are finding creative ways to continue serving their customers safely, implementing teleworking, and reducing in-person interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Can Do Colorado Community Challenge calls on local governments and businesses to continue finding safe and sustainable opportunities to jump start the local economy and implement these practices until a cure or vaccine is created. The state wants to continue to champion things like teleworking whenever possible; equity for essential workers; and helping communities provide safe spaces for all to walk, bike, dine, and conduct business. You can read the press release here.

The RAQC worked with numerous partners on the initiative, including the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Affairs, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado Energy Office, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and the Denver Regional Council of Governments.

Various RAQC programs and resources to aid in this effort and improve air quality are featured in the Challenge fact sheet and on the Improve Air Quality website page.

For the 4^th year in a row, members of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA) are beginning their voluntary emission mitigation efforts, in coordination with CDPHE ozone forecasts and alerts, to help reduce summertime ozone levels in the nonattainment area. You can read the COGA press release here.

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, the 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.

As Air Quality Awareness Week came to a close, the RAQC was featured in a FOX31 news story on how the recent “stay-at-home” orders created better air quality in our region and how we can continue the momentum of decreasing pollution.

You can see the full story here.

The Charge Ahead Colorado program – an electric vehicle (EV) and infrastructure grant funding program formed in partnership by the RAQC and Colorado Energy Office – recently reached a significant milestone: funding more than 1,000 EV charging stations throughout the state. Electric vehicle adoption provides many benefits to the Denver Metro Area, including reduced harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

You can read a press release about the milestone here.