Colorado’s top environmental officials fear they will miss another benchmark in improving air quality. They are asking for $47 million from the legislature to hire more people and improve technology to monitor unhealthy air, particularly along the northern Front Range.
After Colorado’s Air Pollution Control Division recorded its violations, the Environmental Protection Agency will later this year classify the state of Colorado as a serious violator of federal air quality laws. worst-ever ozone levelsInterview with The Denver Post: Michael Ogletree, division chief, said that the summer of 2021 will be a busy one.
The EPA declared Colorado a serious violator in 2019. This would require more enforcement of air pollution controls. A move to the severe classification would increase those enforcements to curb the state’s worsening ozone problem.
Ogletree stated, “We have heard from people that we will soon be reclassified into severe.” We are preparing for that.
Ogletree stated that a change in the status of the Air Pollution Control Division with the EPA would result in lower emission thresholds for manufacturers and other industrial plants. This would mean more work for the Air Pollution Control Division which already has a small staff.
To prepare for the new workload, the division will need $47 million from the legislature. A larger budget would allow for more programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that harm people’s health and deteriorate the Front Ranges’ air quality.
A stricter classification could also impact the oil and gas industry in the United States.
Gov. Jared Polis asked for the money in his budget proposal to the legislature.
The Front Range population is growing, so does the number gas-powered cars and trucks. These vehicles are the number one source of nitrous oxide emissions. They are the No.1 source of nitrous dioxide emissions and a major contributor to the region’s ozone crisis. Volatile organic compounds are released into the atmosphere by power plants and oil and natural gas production facilities. Larger wildfires in West contribute to the problem.
The summer of 2021 saw ozone levels rise to 78 parts per million at 16 states’ measuring stations, exceeding the federal health standard for 70 ppb. Scientists anticipate that the levels will continue to rise. The Front Ranges air quality will continue to declineIf you don’t take immediate action, it will be too late.
The governor is also working closely with Democrats to create additional laws to address the worsening quality of air. This year, there are multiple bills that would spend almost $125million to buy an electric school bus fleet, replace diesel trucks with more efficient ones that emit less harmful emissions, make electric bicycles more affordable, and allow for electric cars. Free public transit faresDuring the worst summer ozone day.
Already, new laws and regulations have been implemented by the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many of these things can take years to make an impact. Jill Hunsaker Ryan is the executive director of Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The thing that is probably most difficult for the public to grasp is that although there have been many changes in the past few years, these laws and regulations have not had the full effect on the state, Hunsaker Ryan stated.
Ogletree and she said that the Air Pollution Control Division still uses a 1990s-created permitting system. Complex air permit applications are still completed on paper. They want to convert everything to digital format and create online dashboards so that people can monitor the various levels of pollution in each state in near real time.
Hunsaker Ryan stated that we can provide transparency to the community, and anyone who is interested.
The division employs approximately 185 people. If the budget request is approved, it would pay additional 106 full-time equivalent jobs, Ogletree stated.
The Polis administration wants to see a major infusion of money for its Air Pollution Division. This is due to a change in the funding structure. Hunsaker Ryan stated that the fees charged to industry provide the financial support for the division. In the past, however, the legislature had to increase fees.
She said that it was always difficult to do this and that it didn’t happen. Politically, it was difficult to get fees increased for industry to the legislature.
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The 2019 legislature gave the Air Quality Control Commission permission to set the fees. However, the commission did not want to place a significant increase on the industry from the beginning, Hunsaker Ry said. The budget request would provide the division the funds it needs to expand its staffing and technology capabilities for two years.
This is the only way we will solve the problem long-term underinvestment.
Colorado’s efforts in improving air quality have received support from environmental advocacy organizations.
The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, an interest group that promotes energy conservation in six western States, including Colorado, is asking the legislature to approve the air quality measures to combat droughts, wildfires, and other climate catastrophes.
Although the group supports the legislation, it has reservations about certain parts. One bill would replace older diesel trucks with newer models. However, Will Frommer, the senior transportation association representative, stated that the group wants all diesel trucks off the road.
Frommer said that it feels like we are going backwards when we create a new program in diesel trucks, but we need to invest heavily in electric trucks. We don’t have the time to waste.
2022 Air Quality Legislation
SB22-193
- A$25 million fund will be established to provide grants to local governments and industrial facilities for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The fund would allow for projects that use hydrogen fuel, electric cars, and projects to reduce carbon emissions. The grant program will end on Sept. 1, 2029.
- To increase public access to electric bikes through grants and rebates, create a $12 million fund. The program would be ended on Sept. 1, 2028.
- Spend $15 million on decommissioning the oldest diesel trucks in Colorado. Then, replace them with more fuel-efficient models. The grant money would be available to public and private entities until July 1, 2032.
- Buy electric school buses for Colorado starting September 1, 2034 at $65 million
- $7 million for the state health department to cover aerial surveillance of pollutants
- Provides $750,000 to state health department for free RTD passes for employees
- Industry fees are limited to $1 million per year. These caps can be raised annually until they reach $5 million on July 1, 2024.
SB22-180
This Bill$14 million would be set aside to provide free public transportation in the region, mainly through RTD, for one month every year when ozone levels are at their highest. It would also provide $30 millions to expand Bustang in the state, its regional bus service.
HB22-1244
A ProposalThe states Air Quality Control Commission would be able to adopt rules more stringent than those in the federal Clean Air Act. The commission would be responsible for regulating toxic air contaminants. Companies that release air pollutants would need to submit annual reports detailing the amount they emit. To monitor and regulate emissions, the bill would also create a state-wide air quality monitoring system.
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