DENVER — Colorado has an air pollution problem, and the federal government wants to help.
Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Energy Office announced Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency is handing the state of Colorado a $129 million check to invest in new ways to improve the state’s air quality.
That announcement comes amid another lousy air quality day for the Front Range. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued an Ozone Action Day Alert for Sunday and Monday for high ozone concentrations.
However, state officials hope the EPA grant will help Colorado see fewer ozone alert days in the future.
The federal money will allow Colorado to expand programs and promote community-driven solutions to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the state.
Denver7 | Weather
High ozone levels, wildfire smoke will continue to impact Colorado this week
“Colorado continues to lead the nation in climate initiatives that reduce air pollution, and move us closer to our climate goals. Investing in clean energy is an investment in Colorado, and we are grateful to be recognized by the federal government for our landmark plans to reduce emissions by creating more transit oriented communities while continuing to save Coloradans money,” Polis said in a statement.
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grant award will also provide incentives to help large commercial buildings decarbonize, expand methane monitoring, and invest in new methane capture initiatives.
The funding is the latest in a series of competitive and formula funds Colorado has been awarded from programs created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
Despite the EPA grant, the hazy skies along the Front Range aren't going away anytime soon.
Experts say there's more ozone in the air than usual this summer. The worst year for ozone in the Front Range was 2021 due to wildfires. This year, however, is looking just as bad for no discernible reason.
Colorado has taken steps to mitigate ozone pollution, including switching over to a special blend of gasoline this summer to reduce emissions.
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