Xcel is preparing a decade-long remediation of nearly 2 million tons of coal ash at the Valmont power station. Should Boulder use its franchise and partnership agreements with Xcel to require strong, independent air quality monitoring throughout the cleanup? And if so, how specifically would you do this?

I liked what Rachel had to say. So I haven't looked into the issue, but it sounds like she's pretty much on top of it.

Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:07:52 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)

So yes, independent monitoring monitoring is essential. I think the city should kick in to make that happen.

Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:11:57 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)

Our council subsequently issued new guidance in our policy statement and our direct communications with Excel, including language around making sure there's baseline setting, real time or continuous monitoring that is done by an independent monitor.

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So yes, I absolutely think that we should be leveraging our franchise agreement to ensure that they do this right.

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I don't trust that they will without incredible community pressure

Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:11:04 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)

As a council member, I would strongly advocate for independent environmental monitoring, including publicly accessible groundwater and air quality data

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And ideally we can get to start work sooner because the longer we wait, the greater the risk is to groundwater.

Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:17:25 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)

So I do favor the independent monitoring. And I think that this is an area that we should work together with Excel Energy.

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we need a mechanism to make sure they're not passing the cost of cleanup and remediation onto consumers.

Speaker identified from speaking order; the moderator did not name them.

Transcript note: The moderator's cue is transcribed as 'Joe Granham'; Jill Grano is the only candidate at this forum with a similar name.

Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:14:25 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)

the amount of work that we can do to provide independent monitoring is vital because these can be diagnoses that happen months or years later.

Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:15:11 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)

Yeah, it needs to be cleaned up to the highest possible standards.

Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:09:10 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)

my goal is to make sure that when we come up with a strategy to monitor air is that we do it with the stakeholders that are impacted, including experts, scientists,

Quoted from an automatic transcript. Check the recording. Watch at 1:05:56 · Empower Hour 2026-10-13 Boulder City Council Candidates on Energy and Climate (Empower Our Future, YouTube)