A rule clamping down on air pollution from key devices used by the oil and gas industry – which drew support from environmental groups and industry – was unanimously adopted by Colorado air quality regulators Thursday. The first-in-the-nation rule requires the installation of non-emitting controllers on all new oil and gas operations and the retrofitting […]
Air Pollution Control Division
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Three coal-burning power plants in Colorado face orders to close early. Their owners aren’t happy about it.
Tri-State, Xcel and Platte River Power had the closures slated for 2030. But Colorado air quality regulators say it must be done earlier to meet greenhouse gas targets. Colorado air quality regulators on Friday moved to order three coal-fired power plants to close by the end of 2028 to cut regional haze and meet Colorado […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Colorado oil and gas emissions rules begin to tighten, but gaps open over what is monitored, by whom and where
Colorado is moving to tighten air emissions from a range of oil and gas activities – including hydrofracturing or fracking – with a general consensus among industry, environmental and community groups. In two days of testimony before the state’s Air Quality Control Commission there was general support for proposed rules covering fracking and drilling, internal […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Drafting rules to reduce Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions may prove even harder because of missing data
A plan to reduce Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions will be a device of many moving parts and after a review by an Air Quality Control Commission subcommittee Thursday it looks like those parts are moving slowly, with rules in key areas not in place for another year. The timetables rolled out during the session, carried […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, News
Colorado counties sue state over new air-quality regulations
GRAND JUNCTION — Two Colorado counties joined a statewide lawsuit against new oil and gas air-quality rules they say unfairly impact rural areas. Garfield and Mesa counties joined seven other counties in the lawsuit against the state Air Quality Control Commission, Air Pollution Control Division and Department of Public Health and Environment, The Daily Sentinel reports. […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, News, Transportation
The fierce debate over Colorado’s new zero-emissions rules includes auto dealers who are meeting future standard
UPDATED: Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission voted to approve the state’s adoption of the zero-emissions vehicle mandate. The vote was 8-1 with Commissioner Tom Gonzales voting against the rule. (Updated Friday, August 16, 2019, at 9 a.m.) How clean are electric vehicles? How much will a zero-emissions vehicle mandate cost businesses in Colorado? And isn’t […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, Transportation
As Colorado considers an electric-vehicle mandate, here’s what to expect
UPDATE: Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission voted to approve the zero-emissions vehicle mandate on August 16, 2019. The vote was 8-1. Commissioner Tom Gonzales voted against the rule. Whether Colorado becomes a zero-emission vehicle state could be decided this week, as the state Air Quality Control Commission kicks off a three-day hearing on Tuesday. If the commission decides […]
Posted inColoradans, Environment, Health
A tiny garden in Boulder is showing signs of stress from smog. The scientist behind it is thrilled.
The first time Danica Lombardozzi noticed tiny brown and black spots covering the leaves of her garden plants, she was thrilled. Her garden was serving its purpose. Each summer, Lombardozzi, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, watches excitedly as cutleaf coneflowers, milkweed, snap beans and potatoes sprout in a small garden […]
Posted inEnvironment, Growth, News, Politics and Government
Front Range air quality is terrible, but Colorado’s efforts are showing some improvement in ozone pollution
If the weather this summer is anything like it was in 2011, Front Range residents might think they can breathe a little bit easier than last year’s sweltering season. Cooler temperatures and regular afternoon monsoons eight years ago kept the area’s ground-level ozone — the heated air we breathe with trace bits of fumes from […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, Health, News, Transportation
Colorado votes 8-0 to join California’s low-emission vehicle standard
Update at 2:40 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2018: The Commission voted 8-0 to approve Colorado’s adoption of the low-emission vehicle standard. Colorado took a solid step Friday to commit to improving air quality by unanimously adopting a low-emission vehicle standard created by the state of California. The state Air Quality Control Commission spent two days […]