HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 12/10/2019 - Memorandum From Cassie Archuleta Re: 2019 Air Quality Plan - DraftEnvironmental Services
222 Laporte Ave
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970-221-6600
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: December 4, 2019
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Jackie Kozak Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Lucinda Smith, Environmental Services Director
FROM: Cassie Archuleta, Air Quality Program Manager
RE: 2019 Air Quality Plan - Draft
The purpose of this memorandum is to notify Council that a draft Air Quality Plan has been released for
public comment through December 31, 2019.
Bottom-Line
The City has published a draft update to the Air Quality Plan, which builds upon Air Quality Principles
and Strategies in the City Plan, as unanimously adopted by Council on April 16, 2019. The Air Quality
Plan identifies ongoing, near term and potential future strategies, actions and programs to improve air
quality that respond to community and City Council priorities. Outreach will be conducted to solicit public
comment on the draft plan through December 31, 2019.
Background
Air pollution is a complex issue with many contributing factors, and pollution does not follow
jurisdictional boundaries. While outdoor air quality in Fort Collins is generally perceived as good, the
City does not meet Federal health-based air quality standards for ozone, and our continuing growth as
a community and region brings additional challenges related to air quality impacts from transportation
and other human caused sources.
For more than 25 years, the City of Fort Collins has been actively involved in addressing air pollution at
a local level, and working regionally to address air pollution on a larger scale. Additionally, City and
community efforts to meet our climate action goals are closely related to air quality improvements, as
many of the same sources that emit greenhouse gases also emit air pollutants, and a changing climate
may adversely affect air quality.
In line with recent updates to Air Quality Principles and Policies in the updated City Plan,1 staff has
completed a draft update to the City’s Air Quality Plan. This Plan contains ongoing, new and emerging
air quality improvement strategies and actions that are meant to be dynamic and guide the development
of City programs, staff work plans, budget recommendations, grant proposals and other actions in
response to community and Council priorities. Input on plan development was collected between 2017
and 2019 through City Plan outreach, an air quality survey, feedback from the Air Quality and Natural
Resources Advisory Boards, and a public forum (March 6, 2019). The plan was also informed by Council
air quality priorities, as adopted on July 2, 2019.
The plan identifies ongoing, near term (1-2 years) and potential longer term (3-5 years) strategies and
implementation actions, focusing on efforts to:
1 City Plan Principle ENV 4 - Protect human health and the environment by continually improving air
quality
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2
Continue ongoing work to reduce emissions, while identifying and implementing ways to
quantify, measure and track air quality benefits of greenhouse gas source reductions, and other
emission reduction strategies.
Plan for ozone attainment, by working locally to reduce pollution from sources such as gas and
diesel vehicles and engines, and collaborating regionally to decrease transported pollution, such
as impacts from oil and gas operations.
Increase opportunities for community members to identify and manage pollutant sources in their
homes and businesses, while leveraging potential air quality benefits of energy efficiency
improvements.
Prepare for air quality impacts that may come from a changing climate, which can lead to
increases in extreme events such as wildfires that can impact air quality locally and regionally.
Next Steps
The draft Air Quality Plan is currently available for public comment at fcgov.com/airquality/plans-
policies. Next steps include:
A press release and other community outreach (e.g., social media, Air Quality and Natural
Resources Board outreach, and City Climate and Air Quality websites) soliciting comments and
feedback through December 31, 2019.
The plan, which is aligned with Council adopted updates to the City Plan, will consider additional
input collected in December and will be updated by staff administratively to be published in
January 2020.
The final plan will be used to inform more detailed work plans that are in line with approved
budget offers, and also to inform air quality considerations in the current Our Climate Future
planning process, which integrates the Climate Action Plan, Energy Policy and Road to Zero
Waste Plan (ourcity.fcgov.com/ourclimatefuture).
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