The air we breathe in downtown Denver is cleaner these days thanks to Emily Griffith Opportunity School. The staff at Opportunity School observed buses and trucks idling for hours everyday in front of the neighboring Colorado Convention Center. Concerned about the health of students and staff, Executive Director Les Lindauer brought the matter to the attention of the Convention Center.

While initially resistant to the idea of change, Councilwoman Carla Madison stepped in to help coordinate a plan. As a result, Colorado Convention Center and the City of Denver created a successful campaign to reduce the air pollution around the Convention Center. The campaign, Engines’ Off, has resulted in a 36 percent reduction in idling at the Convention Center. The 10-minute idling restrictions had been in effect for years, but through the Engines’ Off campaign, the law increased in recognition and enforcement.

This program is being replicated all over the city at venues such as the Pepsi Center, and is now becoming a national model to improve air quality around schools, event centers and downtown areas. For more information, contact the department of Environmental Health, www.denvergov.org/DEQ.