Northern Colorado Air Quality: What Can We Do?

Wednesday, June 15 at 6:00 PM

Second in a series of webinars brought to you by

The Larimer Alliance and Colorado Rising

The Northern Colorado region continues to receive poor ratings for air quality from both the American Lung Association and the US Environmental Protection Agency. As well, there have been instances of egregious local emissions violations by regional oil and gas operators, as evidenced in this article by Jacy Marmaduke in the Coloradoan. While Larimer County officials have finally taken action against this particular company by filing a complaint with the State, more can and needs to be done at both the local and State level.

The Larimer Alliance and Colorado Rising will once more host an online webinar on Wednesday, June 15, at 6:00 PM, the second in a series discussing air quality issues along Northern Colorado’s Front Range. A recording of our first session in March can be viewed at this link. We will again present a group of experts in air quality monitoring and the complexities of enforcement, including:

• Andrew Klooster:Colorado Field Advocate with Earthworks, whose field observations of emissions from local O&G facilities have highlighted some of the problems in our regional air quality and issues related to delayed enforcement against bad operators.
• Christiaan Van Woudenberg: A former Trustee for the Town of Erie, Christiaan was instrumental in establishing a comprehensive air quality monitoring network in Erie. He can speak to the practicalities of setting up such a system, and how the data can be used to protect a community.
• Mike Foote: Mike served as both a State Representative and a State Senator, where he was a key sponsor of Senate Bill 19-181, which altered the mission of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. He is also a long practicing attorney, serving individuals, groups, and communities in the complex field of environmental law.

More information on the speakers can be found at this link.

Following their presentations, our speakers will join in a panel discussion with other elected officials and experts, discussing how to effectively use the data for community alerts and potential enforcement action. Such data can also guide future legislative initiatives to meet this challenge of improving air quality. This panel will include:

• Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally.
• Fort Collins City Council Member Tricia Canonico.
• Broomfield City Council Member Laurie Anderson
• Noted atmospheric scientist Detlev Helmig

The panel and audience will have the opportunity to raise questions, propose suggested action, and follow through on existing initiatives, such as:

• A petition calling for more comprehensive air quality monitoring,   co-sponsored by the Larimer Alliance and Colorado Rising.
• A petition to block the development of fracking sites near Centerra in Loveland, sponsored by Colorado Rising and local resident activists.

Register for this air quality webinar

At this convenient link