Ken Lloyd, RAQC; Misty Howell, RAQC; Gerald Dilley, RAQC; Meg Deane Franko, RAQC; Annmarie Jensen, RAQC; Margy Christiansen; Shirleen Tucker, APCD; Doug Lempke, AQCC; Bob Lowdermilk, AQCC; Ken Frantz, E-470 Authority; Lynn Robbio Wagner, Tri-County Health Department; Dennis Creamer, Conoco; Jack Ethredge, City of Thornton; Roland Russell, United Power; John Votruba; Tonja Castaneda, City of Thornton; Marge Carlow, Cityof Northglenn; Mike King, Excal; Jim Ruttenbrt, CU Medical School; Michael O’Toole, CDPHE; Bob Farmer; Gerald Faudel, Frontier Oil Corporation; Noel Busck, City of Thornton; Margaret Carpenter; Nancy Heil, City of Westminster; and Ann Merkl, City of Westminster.

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Jim Scherer at 3:05 p.m. A quorum was present.

Thornton Councilmember Sharon Votruba and Northglenn Mayor Don Parsons welcomed Council to Thornton and the north metro area.

Council and audience introduced themselves.

    Chairman:

None.

    Executive Director:

Ken Lloyd informed Council that Laura Hagg Nelson left the RAQC staff in September to pursue opportunities in Washington DC. He indicated that Meg Franko will be handling the communications and public relations with help from a junior position yet to be filled.

None.

North Metro Transportation Solutions - City of Thornton

Gene Putman, Special Projects Manager for the Thornton City Manager’s Office, updated Council on transportation planning in the north metro area.

He explained that population in Thornton alone has more than doubled over the past decade. Population in the greater metro Denver area is expected to increase from 2.13 million in 1996 to 3.23 million in 2020, with a significant proportion of that occurring in the north metro area. In addition to traffic generated by population increases in the north metro area, congestion is exacerbated by traffic from areas north of the metro area, such as Weld and Larimer Counties.

To address these traffic trends, officials and planners from the north metro area participated in the Northern Front Range Transportation Study and the North Metro Transportation Study. Both studies recommend alternatives to highway travel to ease congestion in the area, including HOV/Bus lanes and commuter rail from Denver Union Terminal to Fort Collins. The commuter rail alternative would use some existing heavy rail lines and would include stops in Thornton, Longmont and Greeley.

Mr. Putman indicated that the city is planning for commuter rail by amending its comprehensive plan to include stations, completing concept designs for stations, beginning the property acquisition process and developing a public information program for commuter/light rail. A coalition, which was formed to pursue rail interests shared by the North Metro and North Front Range communities, met for the first time on October 1, 2001.

Mr. Putman stated the City of Thornton is also working with DRCOG to secure PM10 funding for the purchase of alternate de-icing equipment. Thornton has also worked with RTD to get an express bus from Wagon Road Park-N-Ride to the Civic Center Station.

Reducing Diesel Emissions in Northeast Metro Area - Northeast Metro Pollution Prevention Alliance (NEMPPA)

NEMPPA President Dennis Creamer, Director of External Affairs at Conoco, Inc., described the group’s current efforts to work with industry and the community to address truck pollution. Founded in 1996 by Conoco, Inc., Commerce City, and the Tri-County Health Department, NEMPPA is a community partnership that promotes pollution prevention principles throughout northeast metro Denver.

NEMPPA is working with the trucking industry in northeast metro Denver to identify practical solutions to reduce diesel emissions and save companies money. NEMPPA is actively involving community members in discussions to develop strategies for addressing diesel truck issues that are not only effective, but also cost-efficient.

NEMPPA is already working to create a best practices manual designed for diesel truck fleet managers. The manual will detail proven practices for minimizing diesel truck noise and emissions and for improving safety. NEMPPA plans to distribute the manual to fleet managers in July 2002 and will encourage them to put the ideas into practice with their own fleets.

In addition to its current work with the diesel trucking industry, NEMPPA has conducted extensive outreach in northeast metro Denver, held workshops for the auto body repair industry and organized household chemical roundups.

Rapid Mapping for Clean Air in Commerce City - Tri-County Health Department and CU Health Sciences Center

Lynn Robbio Wagner, Tri-County Health Department, gave Council an overview of the rapid mapping project in Commerce City. She indicated Tri-County Health and partners received an Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking program (EMPACT) grant from EPA. EPA provides such grants to local communities to help them communicate practical, up-to-date environmental information to the public using advanced, innovative technology.

The Tri-County Health Department is administering the $400,000 Commerce City EMPACT rapid mapping project. This local project will give Commerce City residents "real-time" information on the distribution and concentration of air pollutants in their community.

Partners for this project include University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; Metropolitan State College of Denver; University of Colorado at Boulder; Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; Northeast Metro Industrial Council; Northeast Metro Pollution Prevention Alliance; Rocky Mountain Arsenal; and Adams School District 14.

The Commerce City project will track a wide range of pollutants, from particulate matter and Volatile Organic Compounds to air toxics, such as benzene and xylene. It will also track related meteorological information, such as wind speed, temperature and humidity. Project boundaries are 120^th to the north, I-25 to the west, Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the south and Tower Road to the east.

Dr. Jim Ruttenber, CU Health Sciences Center, discussed the practical applications of this project with Council.

There was discussion on the logistics of maintaining this type of website and whether a health component would be included to help citizen understand the complex issues with air quality.

Mike King, Excal Visual, suggested the Council consider sponsoring a documentary video on Denver’s road to attainment and air quality improvement.

Council directed Ken Lloyd to look into costs and possible partners for such a project.

Ken Lloyd summarized the 2001 Ozone Awareness program for Council. Ken began by explaining the ozone standard is still subject to judicial review and a Court of Appeals decision on the ozone standard is not expected until next spring. In the meantime, nonattainment designations are on hold until the legal issues are resolved and will probably occur no sooner than 2003.

Ken indicated there were 13 ozone alerts issued in 2001 compared to 26 in 2000. He applauded the CDPHE meteorologists for their accuracy when making the calls.

Ken stated the "Put a Cap on Ozone" program was successful in replacing over 6,800 gas caps through August. Staff tested nearly 500 cars at the employer fairs, which resulting in 82 gas caps being replaced. Additional employer fairs are planned for Spring 2002.

The RVP reduction program surpassed the goal of 0.5 pounds per square inch (psi) reduction. Non-ethanol gasoline was reduced to 8.1 psi and Ethanol-blended gasoline to 9.3 psi, which gave the program a weighted average reduction of 0.8 psi.

Ken presented plans for the 2002 ozone season which include continuing the advisories, continuing public education messages, continuing employer gas cap fairs, discussing continuation of the voluntary RVP program with area refiners, and creating a new "Mow Down Pollution" promotion with Home Depot. Staff is working on securing funding for the new program.

Council asked staff to quantify the reductions from the "Put a Cap on Ozone" program. Ken stated that information will be included in the end of season report.

Dave Sladek, Diesel Stakeholder Workgroup Co-Chair, gave an overview of the first meeting. He indicated there was good participation from a variety of stakeholders. The workgroup will meet the first Wednesday of each month through March 2002 in the Junior Achievement Conference room on the 2^nd floor of the Denver Chamber Building, 1445 Market Street.

The November 7^th meeting will focus on diesel inspection and maintenance issues.

Council honored two of its retiring members, Sharon Votruba and Don Parsons, and presented them with air quality achievement awards. Neither is running for re-election this year. Their seats on the RAQC will be filled by two other local elected officials, whom Governor Owens will appoint.

Sharon, Thornton City Councilmember and former Mayor Pro Tem, has been a member of the RAQC Board since the organization’s inception in 1989. She served as Vice Chair of the Council from 1989 to 1999 and has made tremendous contributions to air quality in the metro area during her tenure.

Don, Northglenn Mayor, has served on the RAQC since 1999 and has represented well the interests of local governments in the region.

There being no further business before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

An informal reception for departing members followed the meeting.