New Air Quality Leaders in Colorado

Five new members of the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission, the body of government that makes clean air rules and keeps the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division on task, were unanimously confirmed today by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, and Rocky Mountain Clean Air Action was there to lend support.

Who are these new Commissioners? They include:

• Barbara Roberts, a former attorney with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee;
• Julie Wrend, a former attorney for the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division and current President of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education;
• Teresa Coons, a research scientist at the Saccomanno Institute in Grand Junction and a member of the Grand Junction City Council;
• Jon Slutsky, owner of La Luna Dairy in Wellington, a collaborator with air researchers; and
• Jim Wilson, Environmental Protection Manger at Roche Colorado, a pharmaceutical company that has come a long ways to clean up its air pollution and really keep our air healthy.

The next step is full Senate confirmation, which should be a breeze. After that, these Commissioners go to work alongside four others: Cynthia Peterson, Robert Lowdermilk, Doug Lawson, and Garrett Clemons.

So why is the Air Quality Control Commission such a big deal? Because in taking on air pollution problems, the Commission invariably takes on Colorado's most pressing environmental concerns. The Commission will take on everything from mercury pollution to greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years, as well as air pollution from rampant oil and gas drilling, which is leading to haze in wilderness areas and illnesses in local communities.

The decisions of the Air Quality Control Commission will truly decide whether the future of Colorado is one of worsening smog and illness, or a future of clear, healthy skies.

The five new Commissioners promise to breathe some hope into our future and, together with the existing Commissioners, hopefully will put us on track for the clean air we sorely need.