Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutResponse To Constituent Letter - Mail Packet - 3/26/2024 - Letter From Mayor Jeni Arndt To Air Quality Advisory Board Re: Recommendations For Supporting Air Quality State Bills Mayor City Hall 300 LaPorte Ave. PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.416.2154 970.224.6107 - fax fcgov.com March 21, 2024 Air Quality Advisory Board c/o Selina Lujan, Staff Liaison PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 Dear Chair Houdashelt and Board Members: On behalf of City Council, thank you for providing us with the March 19, 2024 memorandum regarding “Recommendations for Supporting Air Quality State Bills.” We appreciate your recommendations that a City official provide supportive testimony to the State Legislature regarding HB 24-1330 regarding Air Quality Permitting, SB 24-095 regarding Air Quality Ozone Levels, SB 24-159 regarding Mod to Energy & Carbon Management Practices, SB 24-165 regarding Air Quality Improvements and SB 24-166 regarding Air Quality Enforcement. We will also share this information and the list of other bills that you believe should be supported by the City of Fort Collins with our Legislative staff so they are aware. Thank you for the expertise and perspectives that you bring to the Board and share with City Council. Best Regards, Jeni Arndt Mayor /sek cc: City Council Members Kelly DiMartino, City Manager City Clerk’s Office 300 LaPorte Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6515 970.221.6295 - fax Boardsandcommissions@fcgov.com MEMORANDUM DATE: March 19, 2024 TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Mark Houdashelt, Chair for the Air Quality Advisory Board RE: Recommendations for Supporting Air Quality State Bills CC: Boards and Commissions via email boardsandcommissions@fcgov.com Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers, As you know, Fort Collins lies in the Northern Front Range ozone nonattainment area. For that reason, the Air Quality Advisory Board (AQAB) has always made reducing ozone pollution one of its priorities. However, since the major emitter of ozone precursors in this area is oil and gas (O&G) operations in Weld County, the AQAB has continually struggled to recommend actions that the City can take to address its ozone problem. One of the few opportunities for the City to bring its ozone level into attainment is to help pass State legislation that reduces the emissions of ozone precursors from O&G operations. There are currently five bills, described below, that are under consideration in the State legislature that would do this, and the AQAB recommends that a City official provide oral or written testimony in support of each of these bills. They are: • HB 24-1330 - Air Quality Permitting requires that permit applications for emitting sources that include an O&G system aggregate the emissions from the entire system, including emissions from exploration and pre-production activities. It also requires that permit decisions must use AQ modeling to determine the impacts of emissions and must find that emissions in non- attainment areas will not result in higher emissions of the pollutant for which the area is in nonattainment. STATUS: passed Energy & Environment Committee amended, referred to Finance Committee (hearing not yet scheduled) • SB 24-095 - Air Quality Ozone Levels implements specific measures in ozone nonattainment areas, including providing vouchers to help owners of high-emitting vehicles come into compliance, providing point-of-purchase rebates for the retail sale of electric outdoor equipment, and expanding the clean fleet enterprise program for EVs. STATUS: hearing not yet scheduled • SB 24-159 - Mod to Energy & Carbon Management Practices requires the Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) to adopt rules to cease issuance of new O&G permits by 2030 and expands the definitions of (1) mitigation of environmental impacts and (2) the parties who are financially liable for such mitigation. STATUS: first hearing 3/28, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee • SB 24-165 - Air Quality Improvements addresses air pollution in the ozone nonattainment area, by among other things, requiring oil and gas operators in this area to cease preproduction activity during "ozone season" (May 1 - September 30), submit annual emissions inventories for certain air pollutants and submit annual estimates of nitrogen oxide emissions during ozone season. It also requires the ECMC to set a nitrogen oxide emissions budget for the ozone nonattainment area and act to reduce emissions from O&G operators if this budget is exceeded. The DOT is also required to establish vehicle miles traveled reduction targets for the ozone nonattainment area. STATUS: first hearing 3/20, Transportation & Energy Committee • SB 24-166 - Air Quality Enforcement establishes more stringent requirements and higher financial penalties for repeat violators of air quality laws. STATUS: first hearing 3/20, Transportation & Energy Committee In addition, the following bills would improve AQ and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and should be supported by Fort Collins: • HB 24-1173 - Electric Vehicle Charging System Permits establishes an expedited permitting process for the approval of EV charging systems for counties and municipalities. STATUS: first hearing 3/28, Energy & Environment Committee • HB 24-1339 - Disproportionately Impact Community Air Pollution adds a member of a disproportionately impacted community (DIC) and a climate scientist to the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) and requires the AQCC to set stricter GHG emissions limits for the industrial and manufacturing sector. STATUS: first hearing 4/4, Energy & Environment Committee • HB 24-1341 - State Vehicle Idling Standard allows local governments to enact vehicle idling standards that are more stringent than the State standard. STATUS: first hearing 3/20, Energy & Environment Committee • HB 24-1352 - Appliance Requirements and Incentives sets technical standards for HVAC systems and requires the Colorado Energy Office to (1) estimate the cost difference for income- qualified households to install an HVAC system meeting these technical standards, (2) create a reimbursement program for this cost differential, and (3) create an income tax credit for homebuilders and HVAC contractors of $5000 per heat pump installed. STATUS: first hearing 3/21, Energy & Environment Committee The bills described here have the potential to significantly improve the air quality and reduce GHG emissions in Fort Collins. For this reason, the AQAB recommends that someone from Fort Collins City Council or relevant City staff provide oral or written testimony in support of these bills to the appropriate legislative committees. Thank you for considering this letter of recommendation and for all that you do for the City.