Regional Air Quality Council

06/09/2026

This Saturday June 13th, we're partnering with ACE Hardware for a mower exchange event for Fort Collins residents! Begins at 9 a.m.

Get a $200 voucher towards the purchase of a select new electric mower, with a gas-powered lawn item brought to trade in and be recycled.

Proof of residency required, one voucher per household, while supplies last. Please drain any oil or gas from equipment before bringing it with for recycling.

https://www.mowdownpollution.org/residential/

05/26/2026

Last call for Clean Air Champions nominations!

Help us recognize the individuals, businesses, and organizations making a positive impact on air quality in our Colorado Front Range region, by submitting a nomination(s) for a Clean Air Champion, now through June 1.

Nominations are available in the following categories:
Board Champion
Business Champion
Community Champion
Legislative Champion
Local Government Champion

The RAQC will celebrate these leaders and businesses in our Front Range communities that demonstrate a commitment to improving the region’s air quality at our annual Clean Air Happy Hour, this year on September 15.

Learn more about the Clean Air Champions program and fill out the nomination form by June 1, 2026:

We’re now accepting nominations for our Clean Air Champion of the Year! Help us recognize the individuals, businesses, and organizations making a real impact

05/08/2026

We’ve relaunched our newsletter ahead of Colorado’s summer ozone season!

Stay updated with air quality news you can use with a new edition of the Air Monitor every month. We’ll be sharing fun facts and tips for improving air quality where you live and keeping you posted on air quality planning news in the region.

Sign up at our website: https://raqc.org/email-signup/

05/08/2026

It’s time to nominate a Clean Air Champion!

Do you know a Coloradan who goes the extra mile (perhaps via free transit!) for clean air? We are gathering nominations for our Clean Air Champions program now through June 1. The RAQC will celebrate these leaders and businesses in our Front Range communities that demonstrate a commitment to improving the region’s air quality at our annual Clean Air Happy Hour.

We need your nominations in the following categories:

Board Champion
Business Champion
Community Champion
Legislative Champion
Local Government Champion

Learn more about the Clean Air Champions program at our website and fill out the nomination form by June 1, 2026: https://raqc.org/clean-air-champions/

05/07/2026

How can you avoid breathing in higher levels of ground-level ozone?

On high ozone days, one option is to stay inside and close windows and doors. Buildings act like a shield to the ozone molecule (O3), which will react with the walls and be unable to make it inside. Some of the ingredients for ozone can make their way indoors – no building is completely airtight – but ozone isn't usually an indoor air issue. Windows filter out the UV light needed to kick off the chemical reaction that forms ozone, making the indoors a safe place to avoid this pollutant.

However, allergens, smoke, and airborne viruses can all find their way inside and build up indoors, degrading the quality of your indoor air. To make the most of your time inside, be sure to freshen up your indoor air with improved ventilation and filtration.

Find some tips at the Simple Steps blog: https://simplestepsbetterair.org/how-to-improve-your-indoor-air-quality/

To avoid breathing in unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone or wildfire smoke in Colorado, sometimes the best choice is to stay indoors. But what then?

05/06/2026

This Wednesday of Air Quality Awareness Week in Colorado is a day of air quality action! Ready to get involved in air quality planning on the Front Range?

The RAQC works to reduce ozone pollution and attain federal ozone standards in the region through technical analysis, evaluation of air pollution control strategies, and the development of emissions-reduction plans.

We collaborate with state and local governments, community groups, industries, and residents to build air quality plans that serve all communities in the Denver Metro and North Front Range region.

Learn more about RAQC’s blueprint for clean air and how to get involved at https://raqc.org/aq-planning/

AQ Planning - Air Quality Planning

05/05/2026

On World Asthma Day, it’s important to highlight how air pollution like ground-level ozone puts children’s health at risk—and how you can help reduce their exposure in the Colorado Front Range.

Children breathe in twice as much air per pound of body weight than adults. Vehicle emissions can easily pe*****te lung membranes, and these pollutants are linked to asthma, impaired lung development, and long-term risks like cardiovascular disease and cancer. Poor air quality is also tied to increased school absences and hospital visits, making clean air essential for children’s health and development.

As the school year comes to a close, take a simple step to protect children’s health: Turn off your engine when idling your car for more than 10 seconds, especially in the school pick-up line.

Learn more about the RAQC's Engines Off at schools program at: https://www.enginesoff.org/schools.

05/04/2026

Did you know that wildfire smoke affects ozone?

The RAQC is launching an update to its Smoke IMpact Assessment System (SIMAS), which analyzes the effect of wildfire smoke on ground-level ozone at official monitoring sites on the Front Range. Wildfires can add extra ozone precursors to the atmosphere, shifting the typical mix of emissions that bake in sunlight and heat on summer days to create unhealthy levels of ozone. The SIMAS update adds another level of probability that smoke had an impact on the daily ozone readings at a given site, giving air quality planners a more refined tool for understanding what the EPA calls "exceptional events" that should not count against the federal ozone standard for the region.

Learn more at: raqc.org/aq-analysis-and-data.

04/22/2026

We're relaunching our newsletter, just in time for summer!

Want to learn more about ground-level ozone in the Colorado Front Range? Stay up-to-date on our air quality planning efforts? Or benefit from one of our emissions reductions programs?

Subscribe to the RAQC Air Monitor E-Newsletter at our website:
https://raqc.org/email-signup/

11/14/2025

Thank you to Denver7's Jeff Anastasio for featuring our newest program, Accessible Bikes for Community (ABC), in the latest story for his series On Two Wheels!

This e-bike library installation at Lamar Station Crossing in Lakewood is a partnership with the Regional Air Quality Council, Boomerang Fleets, and Metro West Housing Solutions, which provides affordable housing in the Denver metro area.

New Lakewood e-bike program opens opportunities to affordable housing community

Residents were all smiles as they gained access to e-bikes to give them more freedom to roll to errands and the places they love to visit thanks to a new Regional Air Quality Council program.