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New air quality protection rules adopted last Friday (April 18) will go further to protect air in the Front Range and ensure polluters pay for negative impacts to air quality, marking a win for public health. The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) passed the rules unanimously, including a proposal from Adams and Boulder Counties to strengthen the rules.

The new rules identify 344 pollutants as Toxic Air Contaminants – including ultrafine particles and black carbon, which were additions suggested by Adams and Boulder Counties, acting together as the Local Government Coalition. The rules increase fees charged to polluters and require industrial sources to report their emissions of pollutants, like benzene.

“Colorado’s most vulnerable populations deserve protection from unjust cumulative air pollution and its health impacts,” said Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy. “On behalf of our residents, we are thrilled that the Air Quality Control Commission adopted our very reasonable proposal to add two additional air toxics and voted to increase fees for the sources responsible for a lot of air pollution.”

“Our board is excited that the hard work and dedication of so many staff in both Adams and Boulder Counties has contributed to Colorado becoming the first state in the nation to identify black carbon and ultrafine particles as toxic air contaminants,” said Commissioner Lynn Baca, Chair of the Adams County Board of Commissioners. “There is still a lot of work to be done, and we are committed to working with the State of Colorado and research community to better understand emissions of these pollutants and their impacts on public health and our communities.”

Advocating for Our Communities

The Local Government Coalition, comprised of Adams and Boulder Counties, was an official party to this rulemaking and advocated in an alternate proposal for the identification of both black carbon and ultrafine particles as Toxic Air Contaminants. Black carbon (also called soot) and ultrafine particles (particles that are 100 nanometers in diameter and smaller) are a subset of particulate matter and can be higher near major roadways, creating significant health problems for disproportionately impacted communities. While this rulemaking does not address transportation sources of these pollutants, the new regulations will cover stationary sources of pollution which are important contributors to overall levels of air toxics and Adams and Boulder Counties agree that addressing these sources of emissions is critical.

Both black carbon and ultrafine particles are known to cause many adverse health effects, but the good news is there are also well-known control strategies. Adding these pollutants to the State’s list of Toxic Air Contaminants is the first step to better understanding these emissions and how they impact community health and the environment across Colorado.

Additionally, pollution from black carbon and ultrafine particles contributes to negative climate consequences, because both types of emissions absorb heat and light. Identifying these pollutants as Toxic Air Contaminants will allow the AQCC to get a more complete picture of their impact on our communities, which will pave the way to informed decisions in later rulemakings regarding actions to address their negative health and climate impacts.

The Local Government Coalition also supported the proposed increased stationary source fees. This fee increase is important for sustained funding for the Air Pollution Control Division’s critical programs and ensures a larger portion of financial responsibility for air quality regulation falls upon the sectors that are driving pollution concerns, rather than individual taxpayer dollars.

To learn more about the AQCC, this ruling, and the impacts of particulate matter on health, please visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s website. You can also visit each county’s website to learn more about the work being done to support clean, healthy air quality in Adams County and Boulder County.

• Contact the Board of County Commissioners
• View the Commissioners' Meeting Documents and Records
• Visit the County Commissioners' webpage

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