Working Toward Cleaner Air

By Kristin Stephens

Although we live in a beautiful county, our air quality is poor, and despite our blue skies, it can cause health issues for many of our residents. I want to share some of the work we are doing to address this.

As Vice Chair of the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization (NFRMPO), I work on transportation planning with Weld and Larimer County communities. Those familiar with the NFRMPO might not know that this group also serves as the air quality planning organization for our region. As such, we address air quality in the transportation sector, particularly tropospheric or ground-level ozone, the “bad” ozone that forms closer to the Earth and affects our health.

Ground-level ozone is created by nitrogen oxides (Nox) reacting with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight. There are many man-made sources of these organic compounds including vehicle and industrial emissions. Because of our unhealthy levels of ozone, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared that parts of Larimer County, all of Weld County, and the entire Denver Metro area are in serious nonattainment.

In addition to working on the NFRMPO, I serve as their representative to the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC). The RAQC is the lead air quality planning agency for the entire Ozone Non-Attainment Area. It develops the required state implementation plan (SIP) that details how we will attain compliance with EPA’s ozone standards and administers education programs regarding air quality including “Simple Steps Better Air”.

As part of the SIP, the RAQC looks to implement control strategies that will address emissions from transportation and other industries that contribute to our ozone problem. One of the strategies being implemented is the Lawn and Garden Emissions Reduction Strategy. Other strategies under consideration focus on the oil and gas industry, particularly on reducing emissions from venting and blowdowns and natural gas pneumatic controllers. This summer the RAQC along with Colorado State University will also be conducting a NOx and VOC Observation and Analysis in the Nonattainment Area to Support the (SIP). This project seeks to quantify NOx and VOC contributions from sources in the region among other outcomes.

The newest organization to address ozone is the Nonattainment Area Air Pollution Mitigation Enterprise (NAAPME). As chair of NAAPME, the board and I fund transportation projects that mitigate the environmental and health impacts of air pollution in nonattainment areas. We currently have funding through our Community Clean Transportation Assistance Program (CCTAP) which provides grants for communities to build out multi-modal transportation options, address air quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Finally, at the county level, we committed funds to address our air quality. The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment used this funding to create a Mow Down pollution program and launched a Commercial Electrification of Lawn Equipment pilot program. They identified two sites for additional ozone monitors including the Timnath site which is currently collecting data and is located closer to oil and gas operations than other monitors. The Department of Health also purchased an infrared optical gas imaging camera to create a more robust air quality inspection program for oil and gas operations.

There is still much to be done to fix our air quality, but we are committed to continuing this work.

Kristin Stephens is a Larimer County commissioner representing all of Larimer County.