Governor signs additional air pollution bill into law

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2023

Governor Polis signed HB23-1294 into law yesterday administratively. Sponsored by Representatives Bacon and Willford and Senators Gonzales and Winter, the Protecting Communities from Air Pollution Act will set up an interim legislative committee to consider further action to address ozone pollution from oil & gas and related sectors, as well as consider reforms to the state’s process of permitting new sources of air pollution. It will also provide more avenues for communities impacted by air pollution to make their voices heard.

CoPIRG Clean Air Advocate Kirsten Schatz released the following statement:

“We applaud the bill sponsors for their hard work shepherding this legislation this session, and the governor for signing it into law.

With our next ozone season already upon us, our skies may be hazy on any given day but one thing is clear: we must do much more to reduce the ozone pollution that ruins our views and harms our health. This new law is a step in the right direction,” said CoPIRG Clean Air Advocate Kirsten Schatz. “No single solution will solve our ozone problem but we certainly need to do more to tackle pollution coming from oil and gas and related sectors. Our health and quality of life depend on reducing ozone pollution as quickly as possible, from as many sources as possible.”

Reducing pollution from the oil & gas sector and from new sources of pollution are among the nine actions in CoPIRG’s Ozone Agenda, a package of action areas that address harmful ozone pollution across multiple sectors – from lawn and garden equipment to transportation to oil & gas and more. 

In recent years, Colorado has suffered from some of the highest ozone pollution in the country. Breathing ozone can cause harmful health effects including lung damage, worsening of existing respiratory conditions such as asthma and cardiovascular disease

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