HomeMy WebLinkAbout20260476 OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISIONERS
WEER
(970) 400-4200
1150 0 St., P.O. Box 758
COUNTY, CO Greeley, CO 80632
February 25, 2026
The Honorable Gabe Evans
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Congressman Evans,
On behalf of the Weld County Board of Commissioners, we write in strong support of your
bipartisan FIRE Act.As Colorado's leading energy producer,our county is directly impacted by
air quality regulations that penalize local industry for pollution we do not create.
For years, Weld County jobs and families have shouldered the cost of ozone standards that
ignore reality.The majority of Front Range ozone comes from wildfires and out-of-state sources,
not local activity.Yet state and federal regulators still impose costly mandates on our businesses
and residents, stifling growth while failing to improve air quality.
Your bill provides a common-sense solution. It ensures Colorado is not punished for emissions
outside our control, such as wildfire smoke. This will bring much needed fairness and
predictability to our economy and protect the livelihoods of thousands of Coloradans.
We are especially supportive of provisions that align with the need for regulatory relief under
Clean Air Act Section 179B, as referenced in recent EPA correspondence,to address impacts
from uncontrollable emissions. Furthermore, the EPA's own flawed 2021 redesignation of
northern Weld County into the Denver Metro/North Front Range Nonattainment Area was
based on outdated data and incomplete analysis,ignoring newer photochemical modeling
that shows our county's emissions contribute insignificantly to regional ozone violations.This mis
designation opposed by both Weld County and the State of Colorado has placed undue
burdens on our community without scientific justification.
The FIRE Act's approach mirrors what we have long advocated:using the best available data
and recognizing that local emissions in northern Weld County represent less than 4% of the
region's NOx inventory, with decreasing trends due to state-level controls. Your legislation
would prevent such punitive and arbitrary designations in the future,ensuring that counties are
not held responsible for pollution they do not cause.
We urge swift passage of the FIRE Act and stand ready to support your efforts.
Sincerely,
aik/
S ott K. James
Chair, Weld County Board of Commissioners
Cow M v n ; Cow-(-;o n 5 2026-0476
03/0°1/24.
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