LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLEAN AIR MONTHLY:
A monthly newsletter for local governments about air quality
October 1999

Text-only version. Published by the Regional Air Quality Council, 1445 Market, Suite 260, Denver CO, 80202, 303-629-5450 www.raqc.org

[Back to RAQC Home]

In This Issue: Regional Air Quality Council Reviews Inspection and Maintenance Issues

• Council Continues with Carbon Monoxide Plan: Proposes Changes to Regulation 11 - Inspection and Maintenance
• Denver Showcases Its Air Quality Efforts
• RAQC Member Profile - Sharon Votruba
• November Regional Air Quality Council Meeting to be in Adams County

The RAQC's proposed carbon monoxide maintenance plan includes changes to two major elements of the State's air quality plan: oxygenated fuels and enhanced inspection and maintenance of automobiles.

Having previously addressed the regulatory changes necessary to implement the oxygenated fuels portion of the plan, the October meeting was devoted to discussing the enhanced inspection and maintenance program. Staff presented a paper which concluded that additional statutory authority would not be required for extending the transient testing program and implementing a clean screen program; however, changes to Regulation 11 are necessary to implement this portion of the carbon monoxide plan. Upon revisions to Regulation 11 by the Air Quality Control Commission, the legislature would need to approve the changes through the process by which it ratifies all State Implementation Plan amendments.

The RAQC approved these regulatory changes for forwarding on to the Air Quality Control Commission.

Because statutory changes would be necessary to implement the smoking vehicle enforcement and the screening of dirty vehicles, these issues were referred to the carbon monoxide subcommittee for further study.

The October Regional Air Quality Council meeting was held in Denver, providing an opportunity for the Council to hear from the City and County of Denver as well as the Downtown Denver Partnership.

Cindy Christiansen of the Downtown Denver Partnership spoke to the Council regarding the work of the Downtown Denver Transportation Management Association. The Partnership links its economic development work and its transportation efforts, because it views transportation as a key component of economic development.

The Downtown TMA has been quite successful in developing and implementing creative and cost effective programs to reduce congestions and improve access and mobility for Downtown. Included in these successes are Ecopasses for Auraria, state employee transit, transit ridership increases and promotion of multi-modal transportation planning as part of the redevelopment of the Central Platte Valley. Future plans for the TMA include stronger transportation and development connections between Downtown and adjacent neighborhoods.

Steve Foute, Director of Denver's Environmental Protection Division provided an overview of the Division and its activities related to air quality. The City works with 54 Environmental Transportation Coordinators to assist employees in finding alternative modes of work-related transportation, and has 17 official sales outlets where city employees can buy subsidized bus passes. The City has also subsidized the purchase of local ValuePasses for City residents. In 1999 the City projects it will provide 18,753 ValuePasses at a substantially reduced rate. Other air pollution reduction programs in the City and County of Denver include:

• the Clean Cities Program - a program designed to convert city vehicles and infrastructure to alternative fuels;
• the Green Fleets Executive Order (eliminates older higher polluting vehicles from the City's fleet);
• the Smoking/Idling Vehicles Ordinances;
• participation in the Pollution Solution Campaign; and
• the City's annual Bike Depot as part of Bike to Work Week, with over 400 participants.

Bill Sirois, Senior Transportation Planner for the City and County of Denver, presented information to the RAQC on local efforts to evaluate the potential for future violations of air quality standards in the Central Platte Valley and to implement any necessary mitigation measures.

A broad based study group began in the Spring of 1997 to evaluate the impacts of development on the Central Platte Valley. As a result, actions undertaken so far have included:

• the Central Platte Valley Light Rail Spur;
• Transportation Demand Management;
• shared parking requirements; and
• the completion of the Central Platte Valley Transportation Management Plan.

Additional actions planned for the Central Platte Valley include development of a parking cooperative, evaluation of a circulator shuttle, and a debit card with transit incentives.

Dan Roberts of the Denver Street Maintenance Division explained to the RAQC the techniques that Denver has used that have reduced Street Sand, and thus particulate matter. Denver's salt/sand stockpile is being reduced from 55,000 tons to 5,000 tons. Denver is a major contributor to recent reductions that have kept the region below the particulate standards.

The City and County of Denver has been a leader in reducing volatile organic compounds from local government sources. Alice Luhan of the City and County of Denver, Environmental Services Division presented information to the Council on the elements of Denver's ozone reduction work. The RAQC staff worked with Denver staff early this summer to implement additional strategies to reduce local sources of ozone producing hydrocarbons. Denver has for some time employed ozone reduction strategies, including:

• preventive vehicle maintenance;
• alternative fuel use;
• a policy against engine idling;
• substitution of water-based paint, stains and sealants where possible;
• encouraging carpooling and bus ridership.

The City made additional commitments during the summer of 1999 to better integrate ozone reduction strategies into the entire workings of the City. This included identifying which departments have the larger VOC use in the City, which departments have the largest 2-cycle engine use, and which departments have greatest overall impact on ground-level ozone production. The City implemented several strategies to be used during high ozone days to help avoid an ozone violation.

Additional ozone reduction strategies for high ozone days include:

• limiting 2-cycle engine use;
• postponing use of solvents on high ozone days;
• rescheduling of painting and striping projects; and
• reducing mowing operations.

In addition, the City and County of Denver has developed an ozone reduction awareness campaign targeting City employees, particularly those whose employment-related activities contribute to ground level ozone.

Sharon Votruba has been a local government member of the Regional Air Quality Council since its inception in 1989. She has served as Vice-Chair of the Council, Chair of the Legislative Committee, and Chair of the Local Government Task Force. She is pleased that there continues to be four local government members of the RAQC and continues to pay close attention to the RAQC's local government work program. Sharon has been a City Council member for the City of Thornton from 1980 to 1984, and 1986 to the present. She has also been active in Women in Municipal Government, the Colorado Municipal League, the National League of Cities and the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce.

Sharon wants to continue to see the RAQC be pro-active in its approach, avoiding planning simply for federal requirements, but instead shaping plans that are locally driven. She indicates that the local governments in the region have been very cooperative in work on air quality issues. The innovation that they have shown supports the need to continue their active involvement in air quality planning.

The November meeting of the Regional Air Quality Council will be in the Adams County Public Works Building, 4955 E. 74th Ave, 2nd floor Conference Room at 3 PM. A map with directions is available from the RAQC office.