Colorado State University Hosts Clean Air Conference on Global Air Quality

The National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety at Colorado State University will host the 23rd Annual Clean Air Conference. The conference will take place at Beaver Run in Breckenridge Sept. 24-27.

The theme of the conference is "Global Air Quality: Solutions Begin at the Local Level."

Martha Rudolph, recently appointed by Gov. Ritter as director of environmental programs for the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, will give the keynote address. Her talk, "From the Mountains to the Prairies: Air Quality in Colorado," will focus on what Colorado is doing to protect its air quality.

Later in the day, a session on local air quality issues, moderated by Lucinda Smith of the city of Fort Collins, will address air quality issues in Colorado cities, specifically Fort Collins, Boulder and Aspen. Other issues that will be addressed are global air quality issues, health and education related to air quality, air quality control strategies, climate change and the role of biofuels in air quality.  

A panel discussion of biofuels will be moderated by Bryan Willson from the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory at Colorado State. Other participants from Colorado State are Bill Parton from the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, speaking on the "Net Greenhouse Gas Balance for BioFuel Cropping Systems," and Doug Henston from Engines and Energy Conversion Lab, who will speak on the role of algae in the production of biodiesel.

      The Clean Air Conference has been hosted by the National Center on Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety since 1985. The conference is the premier gathering of individuals representing industry, government, environmental organizations, educators and others from North America and around the world. Participants in the conference will discuss a wide range of crucial and timely issues, continuing efforts for cleaner air and a better environment.

The center, established in 1976 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was originally established to assist states across the nation in developing their vehicle emissions control programs. The center’s research and training efforts have grown beyond the original EPA mandate.

Diverse research and testing activities at the center include conducting the EPA’s National Tampering Survey since 1984, laboratory research on alternative fuels and conversion kits, after-market devices and other emissions-related research.

Training activities are also expanding to include a more diverse audience as well as additional topic areas.

For more information on the center or the Clean Air Conference, contact Lenora Bohren at Lenora.Bohren@colostate.edu or at (970) 491-1805 or visit www.ncvecs.colostate.edu/

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