Longmont Recognized as a Clean Air Champion

LONGMONT, Colo. – Longmont has been selected as a 2026 Clean Air Champion by the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) for its efforts to improve air quality and reduce emissions. The annual recognition honors businesses, organizations and individuals across the Front Range that are making a positive contribution to cleaner air.

Longmont’s Clean Air Efforts

The recognition highlights work by City employees and community partners to reduce emissions and improve air quality. In 2026, the City’s Green Team launched its first internal anti-idling campaign, using team challenges and individual bingo activities to encourage employees to minimize idling time when warming up their vehicle.

Fleet Services continues to transition City vehicles to alternative fuels and reduce unnecessary idling. Approximately 11% of the City’s fleet, or 86 vehicles, now consists of alternative-fuel vehicles, with the continued addition of hybrid vehicles. The City has also added 22 new compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks to its compost, recycling and garbage fleet, replacing diesel trucks. The CNG is produced from biogas captured at the City’s wastewater treatment plant, turning waste into a renewable fuel source and further reducing emissions from the City’s fleet. To support these efforts, the City is seeking funding to purchase technology that can track how its vehicles are used and help identify unnecessary idling, re

duce fuel use, and lower vehicle operating costs.

Through a partnership with Ace Hardware, the City also offered a lawn mower swap that helped residents replace gas-powered equipment with cleaner, quieter electric alternatives. The City has offered close to 60 vouchers to residents to put toward replacement tools. Another swap will be offered to residents in spring 2027.

Air-quality monitoring is another part of Longmont’s work to better understand local conditions and share what the City learns with community members and state legislators. Since 2020, the City has collected detailed air quality data at two locations, one near Union Reservoir and one near the airport. These measurements help the City understand differences in air quality across Longmont and contribute to a larger picture of air quality along the Front Range. Longmont’s data are available to researchers around the world and are also used in state air quality modeling.

Looking Ahead

The City will continue working to reduce emissions and improve air quality through its fleet, transportation, sustainability, and community programs. These efforts support Longmont’s broader sustainability goals and help create cleaner air throughout the region.

Join Us to Celebrate

Join us to celebrate Longmont and other Clean Air Champions at the fourth annual Clean Air Champions Awards Ceremony on Sept. 15 in Denver. The free event is hosted by the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and is open to the public but requires registration. Register to attend the ceremony and learn more on RAQC’s website.

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Media contact
City of Longmont Public Information Officer
PIO@longmontcolorado.gov or 720-899-0758

Three people standing in a parking lot next to a truck full of lawn mowers.

Sustainable Business Coordinator Vida Chavez-Garcia and ACE Hardware staff Karmnia Van Le and Kirsten Pellicer stand next to old gas-powered lawn mowers that are being sent to be recycled.