DENVER—Hours
ago, representatives from both sides of the aisle voted to pass HB-1309
to protect air quality and public health in Colorado.
Currently,
state law binds Colorado’s air quality protections to federal minimum
standards. HB-1309 would allow Colorado to maintain current air quality
protections when federal rollbacks would lower pollution control
standards or allow increases in emissions, putting control over
Coloradans’ health back under state control.
Many
Western states including neighboring Wyoming, Arizona, and Kansas
already have the local control that Colorado is seeking to regain.
Local governments welcome the increased state authority.
According
to Gregg Thomas Environmental Compliance Supervisor at the City and
County of Denver, “We applaud the house’s move to increase state
authority to protect air quality. The anti-backsliding measures in
HB-1309 to allow Colorado to prevent the rollback of air quality
regulations will benefit all Coloradans.”
The
push for more state power to protect public health comes in the
aftermath of proposed federal rollbacks to air quality laws that would
dramatically increase the amount of pollution power plants and
industrial sources in Colorado are allowed to produce.
These
rule changes, which would allow industrial sources in Colorado to
increase emissions of smog forming volatile organic compounds by up to
93%, have public health advocates concerned.
“Colorado
has the second highest incidence of asthma of any state in the nation
and more than 175,000 people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease,” said Will Coyne of Environment Colorado. “The last thing we
need is more smog in our air.”
Colorado
already struggles with mercury, smog, and haze pollution. Colorado’s
Mesa Verde National Park recorded the third highest atmospheric mercury
concentration in the nation in 2003 and so much mercury washes out of
our air the fish from 6 lakes in Colorado are unsafe to eat. Colorado
exceeded federal health standards for ozone (smog) 60 times in 2003 and
areas across the state still struggle to meet minimum standards. Haze
obscures views throughout Colorado. Even low levels of particulate
pollution damage health and our tourist economy.
“Federal
rollbacks are bad for Colorado’s health, economy, and environment” said
Silverman. “HB-1309 would allow Colorado to protect our state when the
federal government won’t.”
A
diverse coalition including the public health officials, public health
advocates, religious groups, local governments, labor unions,
agricultural groups, rallied behind HB-1309 to support cleaner air in
Colorado.
