New Air Commissioners Appointed

Governor Ritter just announced four appointments to the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission.

Not only is Governor Ritter reappointing Commission Chair Cynthia Peterson, a steadfast leader for clean air in Colorado, but three new people will join the Commission if they're confirmed by the Colorado Senate.

The three new people include Robert Arnott of Greenwood Village, Dr. Radford Byerly of Boulder, and Ashley Campsie of Littleton. Here's some of what we know about these three:

Robert Arnott used to be with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, but now is tied to the oil and gas industry. He serves on the Advisory Board of the West Virginia-based company, Reserve Oil and Gas, and also owns an environmental consulting firm.

Dr. Radford Byerly is a research scientist at the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Colorado, used to work with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and also served as chief of staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology.

Ashley Campsie used to work with the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division and most recently worked for Duke Energy (see page 3 of the linked permit), now DCP Midstream, a natural gas processing company.

But the real question is, how will these three do on the Air Quality Control Commission? It's hard to tell at this point. We're sure to learn more on April 10 when these three appointees are scheduled to be confirmed by the Senate.