JOINT RELEASE: SIGNED! Landmark Air Quality Improvement Legislation Becomes Law
Legislation includes record investments to reduce air pollution
BOULDER, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed a landmark air quality improvement bill to reduce air pollution, clean up Colorado’s air and save people money on their energy bills.
SB22-193, championed by President Steve Fenberg and Senator Julie Gonzales as well as Representatives Alex Valdez and Meg Froelich, invests more than $111 million to build a healthier Colorado through air quality improvements.
“Cleaning up our air and building a healthier Colorado requires all hands on deck,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder. “That’s why we’re taking a comprehensive approach to ensure every Coloradan, particularly in communities who have historically borne the brunt of air pollution, can breathe clean air. With transformative investments to reduce industrial emissions, initiatives to clean up our transportation system, and plans to improve air monitoring, we’re putting Colorado on the path to a cleaner future.”
“Colorado’s disadvantaged communities and low-income neighborhoods are often exposed to higher rates of pollution and toxic emissions–we’re taking action to not only address that reality, but improve it,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver. “Today, we are making the single largest investment in Colorado history to improve our air quality, reduce harmful emissions and build a healthier state. The bill signed into law today will cut down on harmful air pollutants by prioritizing clean energy alternatives. Colorado is committed to cleaning up the air we breathe, prioritizing cleaner transit.”
“Every Coloradan deserves safe and healthy air to breathe, but too often we are exposed to dangerous emissions and high ozone levels that threaten our health, especially in disadvantaged communities,” said Senator Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. "This new law represents an important step toward reducing those harmful emissions and achieving environmental justice for all.”
“Our law prioritizes clean air, improves our health and builds a pathway toward a healthier future for every Coloradan,” said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. “Together, we are tackling air pollution from every angle including cutting back on industrial emissions, ramping up air monitoring equipment and electrifying transit. This is an investment toward a cleaner, healthier future for all of Colorado.”
The legislation will provide funding for several different programs in the transportation and industrial sectors, as well as the Department of Public Health and Environment, to reduce emissions and improve Colorado’s air quality. The bill includes record investments in clean transportation initiatives and air quality monitoring, regulation, and incentives.
SB22-193 includes:
$25 million for the Clean Air Grant Program to help private entities, local governments, and public-private partnerships fund projects to reduce emissions of air pollutants from industrial and manufacturing operations;
$65 million for the Electrifying School Buses Grant Program to help school districts and charter schools convert and replace fossil-fuel powered school buses with electric-powered school buses, as well as build capacity for charging infrastructure;
$12 million for the Community Access to Electric Bicycles Grant Program to help finance bike share and bike ownership programs to provide Coloradans with ebikes; and
$7 million for increased and expanded aerial surveying to help identify leaks at oil and gas facilities.