- An Alliance For Community Action
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- info@WesternColoradoAlliance.org
A deeper dive into the new HB21-1266
House Bill 21-1266 has changed in some ways as a result of the failure of Senate Bill 21-200. What can we now expect from this this bill?
Advancing Environmental Justice
● Eliminates the “polluter pay” loophole that exempted greenhouse gas emissions from pollution fees.
● Creates an independent ombudsperson and creates an independent environmental justice advisory board.
● Allows pollution penalties to be invested back into disproportionately impacted communities.
● Requires additional monitoring and modeling for all pollution permits that are issued in disproportionately impacted communities.
● Defines “disproportionately impacted community” using both quantitative and qualitative factors, and establishes minimum requirements for outreach to and engagement of these communities.
● Establishes the “Environmental Justice Action Task Force” made up of members from local communities, tribal governments, government agencies, and organizations.
● Requires the creation of a comprehensive, statewide environmental justice plan by Nov 2022, including tangible measures to incorporate cumulative impacts analysis into decision-making and to ensure that harms are not only identified but are avoided.
Reducing Pollution
● Electricity sector — requires every utility with significant emissions that is not already required to file a plan to reduce emissions at least 80% by 2030, clarifies what happens if utilities fail to submit plans or are off track, and provides new tools to accelerate near term reductions from the power sector.
● Oil and gas sector — requires a rulemaking by January 1, 2022 to reduce emissions 48% by 2025 and 60% by 2030 and the design of rules to prioritize near-term reductions.
● Industrial and manufacturing — requires a rulemaking at the AQCC to reduce emissions at least 20% by 2030 and requires the design of the rules to accelerate near term reductions and secure meaningful reductions in pollution from this sector no later than 2025.
Jeriel joined the Western Colorado Alliance staff in February 2017 (back when we were still Western Colorado Congress), but you may remember her as our Canvass Director for the successful Minimum Wage ballot initiative in 2016! In her young career, Jeriel has worked with engaged citizens across Colorado on issues ranging from veterans' affairs, healthcare and women’s rights. Jeriel has called Grand Junction and the Western Slope home for 16 years, and enjoys running, hiking, biking and crafting with her daughter Emma.