The Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) was established in 1989 to serve as the lead air quality planning agency for the Denver metropolitan area. In March 1999, Governor Bill Owens reauthorized the RAQC and streamlined the Council's composition and mission to fulfill its air quality planning responsibilities.

The mission of the Regional Air Quality Council is to develop efficient and cost-effective air quality planning initiatives with input from local governments, the private sector, stakeholder groups, and citizens of the Denver metropolitan region. Its primary task is to prepare state implementation plans for compliance with federal air quality standards.

To learn more about the RAQC, please visit www.raqc.org or contact Trevor Noel at tnoel@raqc.org or 303-629-5450, ext. 210.

Summer Ozone Awareness Campaign

This summer, the Regional Air Quality Council, along with state and local governments, business partners, and citizens, is launching a summer ozone education effort. The theme of the campaign is: Let’s take care of our summer air.

Increased public understanding and awareness of the causes and solutions for ozone pollution is an important element of the RAQC’s overall ozone reduction strategy along the Front Range.

Between June 1 and August 31, the RAQC will work with meteorologists from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to issue daily advisories that will indicate whether 8-hour ozone levels are elevated. The advisories will be issued to the media, local governments, businesses and citizens and will encourage the public and businesses to reduce ozone-causing activities.

The educational campaign also includes television, radio, print and outdoor advertising, in addition to events and outreach to media and local governments.