RAQC air quality experts present at Intermountain West Ozone Exchange

Staff and board members from the Regional Air Quality Council recently attended and presented at the Intermountain West Ozone Exchange in Loveland, Colorado, from Oct. 26-28, 2026.  

The event drew about 250 attendees and represented four ozone attainment regions in the western U.S., including the Denver Metro/Northern Front Range (DMNFR) in Colorado, the Northern Wasatch Front in Utah, Clark County in Nevada, and Maricopa County in Arizona. Topics covered included the current state of ozone, planning, and policies; ozone research; the impact of anthropogenic contributions; influences from wildfire smoke, weather, and natural sources; incentive programs to reduce emissions; and public outreach and communications about air quality.  

On Day 1, RAQC Planning Director Tom Moore presented on the RAQC’s air quality planning efforts in the Colorado Front Range region in a morning session on “Ozone Attainment Efforts in the Intermountain West.” RAQC Board member Josh Korth, of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, served as session chair. Doug Rex, executive director at the Denver Regional Council of Governments and RAQC Board member, spoke on the afternoon panel, “Transportation Planning’s Role in Air Quality Planning.” Ahead of the evening’s electric food truck event, RAQC Executive Director Mike Silverstein discussed RAQC emissions-reduction programs as part of a flash talks session on incentive programs.  

On Day 2, RAQC Senior Air Quality Programs and Data Analyst Kelley Grubbs presented on the Smoke IMpact Assessment System (SIMAS) she developed with Ramboll and Air Science Inc. for understanding the impacts of wildfire smoke on the region’s ozone exceedances in an “Emerging Methodologies” session. The RAQC released a new version of SIMAS this spring that further refines the probability levels at each monitoring site for determining whether wildfire smoke influenced ozone concentrations; RAQC publishes this information weekly throughout the summer ozone season.  

Also on Day 2, Moore presented a poster on “Improved Modeling Evaluation of Transported Ozone and Associated Planning Applications” during the evening poster session, highlighting his work characterizing ozone transported into the DMNFR nonattainment area and developing methods other western regions could use to evaluate transport.  

On Day 3, RAQC Communications and Programs Manager Kelsey Simpkins presented highlights and takeaways from the past three years of the RAQC’s Simple Steps. Better Air. ozone outreach and education program in “Improving Public Communication of Ozone Problem and Health Impacts,” one of two afternoon sessions focused on public outreach and communications. Simple Steps. Better Air. runs a widespread ozone awareness ad campaign each summer, sends Front Range residents timely text alerts on Ozone Action Days with tips for protecting their health and reducing emissions, and partners with area transit authorities to post health advisories and emissions-reduction messaging on highway signs on Ozone Action Days.  

The conference was organized and co-hosted by the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization and Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments and supported by a grant from Colorado’s Air Quality Enterprise. Dena Wojtach, president of Two Roads Environmental and current RAQC Board member, served as a member of the conference’s planning and abstract review committees and coordinated aspects of the event sessions on site.