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Colorado commission votes 8-1 to adopt zero-emissions vehicle mandate

Tamara Chuang
The Colorado Sun

Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission voted to approve the state’s adoption of the zero-emissions vehicle mandate on Friday morning after a three-day hearing.

The vote was 8-1 in favor of the rule, which is expected to help improve air quality and make auto manufacturers expand electric vehicles choices in the state.  Commissioner Tom Gonzales, who serves as Public Health Director of Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, voted against adoption.

Colorado becomes the 10th state to join California’s ZEV program, and the latest in a decade. After three long days of listening to testimony, commission members voted to approve before 9 a.m. on Friday.  



“This is an important step forward,” said Commissioner Auden Schendler, who is from Basalt. “But frankly, it’s a modest step. I think it’s as important for what it does as for what it signals. One of the big signals is the fact that auto manufacturers said we support it, this is technically feasible, we can move forward. I think it’s going to add energy to the emissions reduction effort just when we need it.”

During his remarks, Gonzales said he knows something must be done to help people who live near high-traffic roads and breathe in severe pollution. But he struggled with adopting ZEV because it’s a policy that impacts one major party — manufacturers — and doesn’t address the impact on auto dealerships. 

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