Climate Conversation

Open Field with ButtesFor years, Weld County's elected officials, staff and consultants have been engaged in talks about climate and greenhouse gas emissions in order to ensure the voice and concerns of rural Colorado are included in the discussions several state agencies and the state legislature are having. While we all agree Coloradans want clean air, we don't agree on the current direction the state is taking on how we achieve that - a one-size-fits-all approach will not work.

In addition to purchasing air quality monitoring towers and working with state partners to obtain accurate ozone information, the commissioners have also taken an active role in the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Pollution Reduction Roadmap discussions by offering public comment at rule makings, testifying before legislators, and funding third-party scientific study and analysis of northern Colorado's air. By participating in this process, Weld County hopes to encourage common-sense solutions to a state-wide problem.

The Weld County Board of Commissioners fully appreciates the importance of GHG emissions reductions. In fact, since 2019, the Weld County Board of Commissioners and key staff have met with outside attorneys and consultants to discuss volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitric oxides (NOx), methane, ammonia, nitrogen, ozone…in short, air quality. The goal of these discussions is to gather scientifically verified data to contribute to the discussion and policy making to ensure a common sense approach is considered when phasing in changes that work toward goals in an economically feasible way. By actively participating in the legislative process, the board is hoping its investment in the science of air quality will help to better inform the participants in this project.

Below, please find news releases, studies, white papers and testimonials (by topic) Weld County has offered publicly to the various state agencies implementing the GHG Roadmap plan.

For information about ozone and the county's air monitoring stations, please visit the Weld County Environmental Health Air Quality Program website.

State of Colorado's Greenhouse Gas Road Map

To understand the resources on this page, it is important to know where and how the discussion began. In 2021, the State of Colorado issued the Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap. The document outlines ways the state want to implement policies and regulations to transition Colorado to renewable energy. The ways the state is trying to push that move, however, are potentially problematic and could cause harm to the residents and businesses that call Colorado home.

Colorado Greenhouse Gas Road Map

When the State of Colorado introduced the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Roadmap, Weld County, along with other entities addressed their concerns regarding the content of the plan and the consequences the plan's implementation could have on Colorado's economy. 

11/12/20: Joint letter from Weld and Garfield counties to the Colorado Energy Office and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment(PDF, 258KB)(PDF, 359KB)

12/8/21 News Release: CDOT's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Rulemaking - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing That Will Negatively Impact Rural Colorado(PDF, 210KB)

Agriculture

Weld County's white paper on agricultural solutions to reducing GHG

Weld County believes the reduction of emissions is important and must be a common sense approach that does the least harm to our state's economy. The county worked with its partners at The Context Network and Ramboll US Consulting, Inc. to prepare a white paper for the Natural and Working Land Task Force that offered solutions for reducing GHG emissions and sequestering carbon.

November 2021: Agricultural Solutions for Reducing GHG Emissions and Sequestering Carbon(PDF, 5MB)

Air

EPA: Redesignation of northern Weld County as nonattainment

In November 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized it's decision to expand the ozone nonattainment area boundary to include all of Weld County. Weld County submitted testimony and scientific data to support its request to not change the boundary area.

March 2023: A Review of Colorado EnviroScreen(PDF, 6MB)

7/14/21: Letter from Weld County to Debra Thomas, Acting Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8(PDF, 3MB)

11/19/21: Letter from Weld County to Michael Regan, Office of the Administrator, 1101A, Environmental Protection Agency(PDF, 178KB)

11/19/21: Weld County news release regarding EPA's decision to move all of Weld County into the nonattainment boundary(PDF, 178KB)

12/1/21: Letter from the Environmental Protection Agency to Weld County(PDF, 180KB)

Exhibit 1(PDF, 4MB)

Exhibit 2(PDF, 178KB)

Exhibit 3(PDF, 1MB)

The Air Quality Control Commission proposed a rule (ETPR) to mandate employers develop a plan to reduce employees driving to and from work sites. Weld County participated in public comment of this rulemaking and the proposal was withdrawn by the Commission.

9/7/21: Prehearing Statement of the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County in the matter of proposed revisions to regulation numbers 11, 20 and 22.(PDF, 350KB)

12/16/21 News Release: Board Seeks Court Review of EPA Ozone Designation(PDF, 222KB)

Oil and Gas

May 2020 Health Consultation

Assessment of ambient air exposures to volatile organic compounds measured at an elementary school near an oil and gas development operation(PDF, 930KB). Prepared by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment under cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

06/19/2020: Independent analysis of CDPHE Monitoring data at the Bella Romero 4-8 Academy

Prepared by Ramboll(PDF, 1MB)

GHG Roadmap: Energy (Regs 7 and 22)

8/26/20 News Release: Weld County Commissioners Submit Rebuttal Statement on Proposed Revisions to Colorado Air Quality Control Commission's Reg 7(PDF, 197KB) 

Weld County has actively participated in the public comment process for the Air Quality Control Commission's proposed changes to regulations 7 and 22 as they relate to the Greenhouse Pollution Reduction Roadmap. 

10/28/21: Weld County's Prehearing Statement in the matter of proposed changes to regulation 7 and regulation 22(PDF, 468KB)

 

11/23/21: Weld County's Rebuttal Statement in the matter of proposed changes to regulation 7 and regulation 22(PDF, 336KB)

 

12/1/21: Weld County comments regarding Climate Dashboard(PDF, 417KB)

Transportation

GHG Roadmap: Transportation (2 CCR 601-22)

The Transportation Commission of Colorado is proposing to change the mission and focus of the Colorado Department of Transportation from one of moving traffic efficiently throughout the state to one of emission reduction. The Board of County Commissioners has participated in the public comment period of this proposed rulemaking.

9/24/21: Written comments from the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County in the Matter of Proposed Revisi8ons to 2 CCR 601-22 (PDF, 281KB)

10/14/21:  Written comments from the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County in the Matter of Proposed Revisi8ons to 2 CCR 601-22(PDF, 1MB) 

11/18/21:  Written comments from the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County in the Matter of Proposed Revisi8ons to 2 CCR 601-22 (PDF, 3MB)

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