Boulder County commissioners have cut funding for an air monitoring program at Boulder Reservoir, ending a longstanding data record used to track local air pollution and climate trends, analyze health impacts from local oil and gas developments, and provide evidence to challenge fossil fuel projects.
Operated by Boulder AIR since 2017, the program monitored methane, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), offering scientific insights into the sources of Boulder County’s air pollution. Its last day of data collection was Dec. 31. Ground-level ozone monitoring, managed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), will continue at the site.
The decision, made during the 2025 budgeting process, has drawn public backlash. Residents, environmental scientists and advocates have criticized the move in public comments and letters, calling the independently generated data crucial for understanding and reducing local air pollution. Boulder AIR CEO Detlev Helmig said he received multiple letters from community members worried about losing access to the data.
“People are surprised because it was never announced,” Helmig told Boulder Reporting Lab.
Critics have also pointed to the program’s relatively low cost compared to the county’s $708 million budget, and its significant impact. Funded by the county’s sustainability tax, the program would have cost around $177,000 in 2025, according to a budget presentation.
Over the years, data from the Boulder Reservoir station has been pivotal in identifying oil and gas drilling in Weld County as a major source of ground-level ozone in Boulder County, which poses public health risks. Recently, this data was used to oppose a fracking proposal near Erie. Local governments have also leveraged it to push state regulators for stricter drilling controls to improve air quality and address climate concerns. According to Boulder AIR, the data has influenced state air pollution laws, including granting local governments more control over oil and gas development and establishing an air quality research program.
The program’s termination did not involve a formal vote. The budget was approved without funding it. During a Sept. 5 budget hearing, Commissioner Marta Loachamin questioned whether funding for the Boulder AIR program was a statutory requirement, which it is not. “I’m not saying we don’t want to do monitoring ever again,” Lochamin said. “But I am curious, because my understanding is there are other air monitoring functions and programs.”
The commissioners directed requests for comment to their communications director, Gloria Handyside. In a statement, Handyside said state air quality regulations have strengthened since 2017, and other air monitoring programs have been implemented. Boulder County Public Health, she added, will “begin exploring new innovative investment opportunities based on additional pressing community and environmental needs.”
One of the program’s primary goals was to provide granular data on ground-level ozone, which remains a significant concern for the Front Range. The region has long been out of compliance with federal limits. Unlike ozone in the upper atmosphere, which protects against solar radiation, ground-level ozone is a harmful pollutant formed when VOCs, nitrogen oxides and other emissions from oil and gas operations, vehicles and wildfires react with sunlight. This toxic gas is linked to respiratory illnesses, heart attacks and strokes.
Although CDPHE will continue monitoring ozone at Boulder Reservoir, Boulder AIR’s more detailed measurements of specific VOCs, including benzene and propane, and nitrogen oxides — key contributors to ozone formation — will no longer be available. These measurements helped fingerprint and identify local pollution sources contributing to ozone formation, such as fracking infrastructure or traffic.
Unlike state-run programs, Boulder AIR also provided higher-frequency measurements, Helmig said. For instance, the station recorded methane, a potent greenhouse gas, hourly, compared to the state’s once-every-six-days sampling—a difference of more than 8,500 data points annually versus 60. He also highlighted the Boulder Reservoir station’s location — situated between residential areas, oil and gas development, and the clean air of nearby mountains — which made it a unique resource.
“We have this clean air comparison. So we can see the air that’s being transported into the area versus the air that’s coming from urban [areas] and oil and gas,” he said. “It’s the anchor site. It’s the first one and it’s got the longest record.”
Boulder AIR operates additional air monitoring programs in Longmont, Broomfield and Erie, which Handyside said are closer to active oil and gas sites. She said the county will continue working with those programs to communicate findings during policy processes, and will rely on the seven years of data collected at the Boulder Reservoir station, which she credited with informing statewide oil and gas legislation and regulations.
Helmig and other scientists, however, argue this isn’t enough. They emphasized the importance of continuous data to track trends and measure the effectiveness of newer oil and gas regulations. He compared discontinuing monitoring to changing doctors mid-treatment.
“You’d want to see the same cardiologist who knows you through all the treatments – [your] particular medications and understands your health conditions,” Helmig said. “To stop at this time, it’s such a loss.”
Rick Casey, an air quality advocate, spoke at a public commissioners meeting in December to stress the need for robust air monitoring. Casey, who lived in Boulder for almost 40 years before moving to Fort Collins, is now advocating for a Boulder AIR monitoring program there. He mentioned the Trump administration’s plans to double down on fossil fuel production.
“If anything, we need to worry about this new administration and what’s going to happen out in Weld County,” Casey said. “Until the number of wells in Weld County goes down dramatically, we’re going to need all the air quality monitoring we can get.”
Lisa Darby, a former NOAA scientist, said discontinuing Boulder AIR’s program would undermine the county’s leadership in climate assessment and adaptation, as well as its public health efforts.
“Eliminating these measurements would create a significant gap in the regional dataset” on air quality, she wrote to the commissioners, “and signal a lack of commitment to addressing climate challenges.”
The program also served the broader community, Helmig said. Residents with asthma relied on real-time data, available on Boulder AIR’s website, to assess outdoor air quality, he said. Rowers used the station’s live camera overlooking the reservoir to check for crowding or icy conditions before heading out.
Helmig has not secured alternative funding to continue the Boulder Reservoir station. As a small company, Boulder AIR faces challenges balancing scientific research with sustaining its business and employees. “We’re a small company. We have to get paid for this,” Helmig said.
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