GOV. RITTER URGES QUICK PLAN TO ADDRESS OZONE

 

RITTER URGES QUICK PLAN TO ADDRESS OZONE

 

As the Front Range continues to experience high ozone levels this summer, Gov. Bill Ritter today urged the Denver Regional Air Quality Council to craft a plan to reduce ambient ozone concentrations earlier than the September 2008 deadline.

 

"Developing short and long-term strategies to continue to reduce ozone levels in the Front Range will be difficult and challenging," Gov. Ritter wrote in the letter. "It will require a significant commitment of the RAQC and all interested stakeholders over the next several months to develop solid and dependable actions that will achieve the ozone reductions we need to protect the health of our citizens. I am confident the RAQC can develop and propose both ozone control measures for the 2008 summer ozone season and a long-term plan to ensure compliance with the national standard to protect air quality and the public health in the Denver metropolitan area."

 

The complete text of the letter follows: 

 

July 26, 2007

 

Andrew Spielman

Chairman

Denver Regional Air Quality Council

1445 Market Street, Suite 260

Denver, Colorado 80202

 

Dear Chairman Spielman:

 

The Denver Regional Air Quality Council has been presented with a difficult and challenging assignment – developing an effective plan to reduce ambient ozone concentrations in the Denver metropolitan area.  This plan to reduce ozone must be submitted to the Air Quality Control Commission no later than September 2008. However, because reducing ozone levels is critical to protect the health of our citizens, I urge the RAQC to act more quickly to propose measures that will further reduce ozone concentrations in the 2008 summer ozone season.  The RAQC should set as its immediate goal the reduction or elimination of ozone levels measured above 0.08 ppm.

 

As you are well aware, over the last several years ozone levels in the Front Range have hovered very close to the federal standard of 0.08 parts per million. Throughout the summer season it has become common for many of the 15 Front Range monitors to measure ozone levels above this value.  On Friday, July 20^th the Rocky Flats ozone monitor recorded ambient ozone concentrations high enough to violate the federal standard.

 

While this data still must be validated, it underscores the need to be more aggressive in developing and strengthening air quality programs to reduce ambient ozone concentrations.  High levels of ozone can compromise the health of our citizens. The health of the elderly, young children, persons with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, and those who are active outdoors can be impacted on high ozone days. 

 

Through the past efforts of the RAQC, the Air Quality Control Commission, the Air Pollution Control Division, other state agencies, local governments, conservationists, industry and others, strategies have been put in place to reduce ozone levels.  These strategies have worked to reduce ozone, but now more needs to be done.

 

The RAQC is the lead air quality planning organization for the Denver metropolitan area, and as such, I challenge the RAQC to work with these stakeholders to begin immediately to develop and propose additional measures to further reduce ambient ozone concentrations to assure compliance with the national standard.  The RAQC must develop a plan that will ensure long-term compliance with the current federal ozone standard, and consider the addition of elements that would further reduce ozone levels that may be necessary to meet the recently proposed lower federal ozone standard. 

 

Developing short and long-term strategies to continue to reduce ozone levels in the Front Range will be difficult and challenging.  It will require a significant commitment of the RAQC and all interested stakeholders over the next several months to develop solid and dependable actions that will achieve the ozone reductions we need to protect the health of our citizens.  I am confident the RAQC can develop and propose both ozone control measures for the 2008 summer ozone season and a long-term plan to ensure compliance with the national standard to protect air quality and the public health in the Denver metropolitan area. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Bill Ritter, Jr.

Governor

 

 

# # #

 

GOV. RITTER, LT. GOV. O’BRIEN AND FIRST LADY JEANNIE RITTER

GOV. RITTER SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, July 24

8:15 a.m. Gov. Ritter will be delivering a morning speech to ColoradoBiz Magazine’s 13th Annual Minority Business Breakfast.

Location: Denver Performing Arts Complex, Donald Seawell Grand Ballroom, 1101 13th St.

11:30 a.m. Gov. Ritter will be delivering closing remarks to the Douglas County Schools’ Leadership Conference.

Location: Denver Marriott South, 10345 Park Meadows Drive, Littleton.

Thursday, July 26

Noon Gov. Ritter will be delivering remarks to the Colorado Health Foundation’s 2007 Dorsey Hughes Symposium on Health Care.

Location: Beaver Creek Park Hyatt Hotel, 50 W. Thomas Place, Avon.

6 p.m. Gov. Ritter will be speaking to members of Progress Now during the organization’s first “Progresstival” meet-and-greet.

Location: Vinyl Restaurant’s Rooftop, 1082 Broadway, Denver.

Friday, July 27

11:30 a.m. Gov. Ritter will be speaking to the Statewide Liaison Council of Higher Education Classified Employees.

Location: Northeastern Junior College, 100 College Ave., Sterling.

Saturday, July 28

9 a.m. Gov. Ritter, First Lady Jeannie Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien will be joining community volunteers across the state as part of Colorado Cares Day. A more detailed advisory will be issued mid-week. Click here for more information about Colorado Cares Day.

12:30 p.m. Gov. Ritter will be delivering brief remarks and participating in the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival’s “eye dotting ceremony.”

Location: Corner of West Byron and Sheridan, Denver.

3 p.m. Gov. Ritter will be speaking to the Colorado Springs African American Leadership Group.

Location: New Jerusalem Missionary Church, 5485 Alegre St., Fountain.


LT. GOV. O’BRIEN SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, July 24

5:30 p.m. Women’s Forum’s New Membership Reception. Oxford Hotel’s Sage Room at McCormick’s, 1600 17th St., Denver.

Friday, July 27

7:30 a.m. Metro Denver Health and Wellness Commission. Denver Athletic Club’s Grand Ballroom. 1325 Glenarm Place, Denver.

Saturday, July 28

9 a.m. Lt. Gov. O’Brien, Gov. Ritter and First Lady Jeannie Ritter will be joining community volunteers across the state as part of Colorado Cares Day. A more detailed advisory will be issued mid-week. Click here for more information about Colorado Cares Day.


FIRST LADY RITTER SCHEDULE:

Wednesday, July 25

11:30 a.m. Reach Out & Read. Sandos Westside Family Health Center, 1100 Federal Blvd., Denver.

Saturday, July 28

9 a.m. First Lady Jeannie Ritter, Gov. Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien will be joining community volunteers across the state as part of Colorado Cares Day. A more detailed advisory will be issued mid-week. Click here for more information about Colorado Cares Day.

6 p.m. Carson J. Spencer Foundation Fundraiser. The Wynkoop, 1634 18th St., Denver.

Ritter apoints Hoskins to Weld bench

GOV. RITTER APPOINTS 19th JUDICIAL DISTRICT JUDGE

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced he has appointed Julie C. Hoskins of Greeley to serve on the District Court bench of the 19th Judicial District. The district serves Weld County.

Julie Hoskins currently serves as a Weld County Court judge, presiding over the domestic violence misdemeanor docket. She also worked as a District Court magistrate for the 19th Judicial District from 2003 to 2005. From 1993 to 2003, prior to her position as a magistrate, Hoskins was a partner at Houtchens, Houtchens and Greenfield, L.L.C., and before that worked as a contract attorney for Perry Goorman, Attorney at Law (1991 to 1993). She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bethany College in West Virginia, and her law degree from the Dickinson School of Law in 1991.

The judgeship is a new position created pursuant to House Bill 07-1054. The initial term of office is a provisional term of approximately two years, and if retained by the voters, a term of six years.

GOV. RITTER and FIRST LADY RITTER SCHEDULES FOR WEEK OF JULY 16

GOV. RITTER SCHEDULE:

Monday, July 16

11 a.m. Gov. Ritter will attend the inauguration of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and City Council members. Temple Buell Theatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th & Curtis.

Tuesday, July 17

7:30 a.m. Gov. Ritter will welcome home the Colorado National Guard’s 169th Fires Brigade. Marriott Denver Tech Center, 4900 S. Syracuse Ave.

10 a.m. Photo-op with Pueblo Teen Council/Accolades Magazine, State Capitol, Governor’s Office.

11 a.m. Gov. Ritter will address the Western Governor’s Association Energy Efficiency Workshop, Red Lion Hotel Stapleton, 4040 Quebec St., Denver.

Wednesday, July 18

1:30 p.m. Gov. Ritter and House Speaker Andrew Romanoff will address the South Metro Chamber of Commerce on education issues, CH2M HILL Conference Center, West Building, 9191 S. Jamaica St., Englewood.

Friday, July 20 – Monday, July 23

Gov. Ritter will attend the National Governor’s Association 99th Annual Meeting in Traverse City, Mich. The complete agenda will be posted at www.nga.org later this week. For more information, contact Laura Chapin: 303.866.6386.


FIRST LADY JEANNIE RITTER SCHEDULE:

Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter travels to northwest Colorado on Monday for a three-day tour to discuss the region’s mental health needs. She will be meeting with health care providers and community groups in Walden, Steamboat Springs, Meeker and Craig on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Task force of foster care created

GOV. RITTER NAMES MEMBERS OF NEW COLORADO TASK FORCE
ON FOSTER CARE AND PERMANANCE

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced the first members of the new Colorado Task Force on Foster Care and Permanence.

Established by Senate Bill 07-64, the 24-member task force will examine the child foster care and adoption systems. The panel will report its findings and recommendations to the Governor, Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court and the House and Senate Judiciary and Human Services committees by May 31, 2008.

The task force will continue to accept applications for seven remaining vacancies from the following categories: former foster children; a foster parent who is not currently a member of a statewide foster parent association; a biological parent of a child who has been involved in the foster care system; and a community child advocate.

To obtain an application or for more information, please call (303) 866-6380, e-mail boards@state.co.us or visit www.colorado.gov/governor/boards-commission.html.

The new appointees are:

State Sen. Moe Keller of Wheat Ridge

State Rep. Jerry Frangas of Denver

Deborah L. Cave of Louisville

Adoree L. Blair of Littleton

Sarah Padbury of Denver

Shari F. Shink of Wheat Ridge

Sharen E. Ford of Aurora

Jerri J. Spear of Akron

Paula K. McKey of Boulder

Cyril “Skip” A. Barber of Centennial

Sherry A. Caloia of Glenwood Springs

Sister Michael Deloros Allegri of Denver

M.A. “Bunny” Nicholson of Denver

Carl A. Lawson of Aurora

Capitol reopens after shooting

CAPITOL RE-OPENS; GOV. RITTER SCHEDULE FOR TODAY (TUESDAY, JULY 17)

The Colorado state Capitol will re-open to visitors and employees at 7:30 a.m. today following yesterday’s shooting. Access will be limited to the north side, street/basement level entrance on Colfax Avenue. Metal detectors will be in place. (North side is accurate but differs from information originally announced yesterday.)

Gov. Ritter is maintaining his public calendar for today:

6:50 a.m. Gov. Ritter will join Brig. Gen. (select) Trulan Eyre and members of the Colorado National Guard to celebrate the homecoming of the 169th Fires Brigade.

Location: Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 S. Syracuse Ave., Denver. Media must be in place by 6:50 a.m. A press conference will be held at 7:20 a.m. and the actual ceremony starts at 8 a.m.

11 a.m. Gov. Ritter will deliver the opening remarks to the Western Governors’ Association Energy Efficiency Workshop, Red Lion Hotel Stapleton, 4040 Quebec St., Denver.

Ritter appoints John Thomas Bryan

GOV. RITTER APPOINTS 17th JUDICIAL DISTRICT JUDGE

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced he has appointed John Thomas Bryan of Thornton to serve on the District Court bench of the 17th Judicial District. The district covers Adams and Broomfield counties.

John Thomas Bryan has served as a magistrate for the 17th Judicial District since 2004. Prior to his position as a magistrate, Bryan was an assistant attorney general for the Criminal Justice – Appellate Division from 2000 to 2004 and a clerk for Judge Leonard P. Plank on the Colorado Court of Appeals from 1998 to 2000. From 1996 to 1998, Bryan acted as president and managing partner at Bryan, Downie & Associates, P.C. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1982, his master’s degree from New Mexico State University in 1985, and his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1996.

The judgeship is a new position created pursuant to House Bill 07-1054. The initial term of office is a provisional term of approximately two years, and if retained by the voters, a term of six years.