Environmental Monitoring & Community Research
Via Mobility Services partnered with the University of Colorado Boulder to support important environmental research focused on air quality monitoring and potential community impacts associated with Xcel Energy’s Valmont Power Station.
If you are visiting the Boulder Headquarters, you may notice an antenna-like structure located in the grassy area inside our gate on the south side of the property. Installed several months ago by the University of Colorado Boulder College of Engineering, the equipment is part of an ongoing effort to measure coal fly ash that may travel from the hillsides east and north of our facility near the Valmont Power Station.
For many decades, the nearby Xcel Energy Valmont Power Station burned coal to generate electricity before coal operations ended in 2017. During those years, coal ash from the plant was deposited in onsite disposal areas, creating the mounds and hillsides visible east of our building and yard. Researchers are now studying whether fly ash particles may continue to move through the area and what impacts they could have on local air quality.
In addition to supporting air quality monitoring, Via Mobility Services is also hosting a groundwater monitoring station on our property. This station helps Xcel Energy and the City of Boulder monitor groundwater flows and track the movement of heavy metals associated with historic coal ash disposal.
This partnership reflects a shared commitment to responsible stewardship, scientific understanding, and community well-being. Through collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder, Xcel Energy, and the City of Boulder, Via Mobility Services continues to support efforts that strengthen environmental awareness and inform future decision-making for the community.
