A new law signed by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis seeks to help county landfills comply with state emission-reduction requirements without having to dramatically increase trash fees. 

Senate Bill 101 allows landfill owners to apply for grant money to help pay for new methane capture and monitoring infrastructure. It was signed by Polis on May 21.

The measure came in response to concerns from rural county officials who said complying with the new mandates would mean potentially having to hike trash collection fees, commonly called tipping fees, to help cover the costs. 

“I think we have a responsibility as a state to control methane and keep our air clean and do what we can to combat climate change,” state Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Frisco Democrat and one of the bill’s lead sponsors, said during a legislative hearing in April. “The reality on the ground is that counties have to grapple with the costs of that.”

Under rules passed last year by the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission, public and private landfills that meet certain thresholds for methane emissions must install new pollutant control and monitoring systems, end open flare burning of methane and be equipped with biofilters. 

Landfills are the third-largest emitter of methane in Colorado, according to state data, and the second-largest driver of climate change after carbon dioxide. While methane has a shorter lifespan than carbon dioxide, it is also more potent, with a warming effect that is 86 times stronger than carbon dioxide over a 20–year-period, according to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. 

The new rules go into effect in 2029, though some landfills have up to three years after that to install the emission capture and monitoring technology. 

Mountain counties with publicly-owned landfills estimate the costs of installing new equipment alone will be in the millions. In Garfield County, officials project the upfront cost of new equipment and technology could be around $2 million to $2.5 million. In Summit County, costs are projected to be around $3 million, while in Pitkin County, officials are estimating about $3.5 million.

Under the newly-signed bill, counties will be able to apply for funding from the state’s community impact cash fund, which primarily goes toward environmental projects in communities affected by air pollution. 

The bill does not stipulate how much funding will be made available from the fund for landfill projects, but it does require the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to prioritize funding for publicly-owned landfills over private ones. Last year, the fund was estimated to have around $9 million, though about $5 million was diverted to the state’s general fund for the upcoming fiscal year’s budget to help close a roughly $1 billion spending gap. 

Kelly Flenniken, executive director for Colorado Counties, Inc., a nonprofit representing all 64 of the state’s counties, said she hopes the opportunity for new state funding will help mitigate the need for local governments to raise trash fees. But she added it won’t be a complete solution.

“Some counties, depending on how big their landfill is and what the estimate was for that equipment, still may need to raise some fees,” Flenniken said, noting that counties will also be in competition with one another for funding. 

Supporters of the bill had initially hoped to go further by giving counties more leeway when it came to complying with the new methane rules. Initially, the bill would have created a waiver process for landfill owners to request more time for compliance and would have shielded landfills from penalties for noncompliance if they could show that the reason was purely due to financial inability. 

Those provisions were stripped after facing pushback from environmental groups, who felt the original bill would allow landfill owners to skirt the state’s clean air rules and could jeopardize climate goals. 

“It’s not necessarily the pinnacle solution we were hoping for, but we do feel like it will certainly offset (costs) in a tremendous way that will help Coloradans not have to pay a lot more to dispose of their trash properly,” Flenniken said of the bill’s final version. “I don’t think it solves the whole problem, but I do think it helps.” 

The Vail Valley Foundation unveiled Friday a brand-new course for the adidas TERREX 20K Trail Run at the 2026 GoPro Mountain Games June 4-7, sending runners all the way to Mid-Vail for the first time in the event’s history.

The 20K on June 7 leaves behind its traditional two-lap format in favor of a single loop that climbs higher up Vail Mountain than the race has ever gone before, gaining 2,500 feet of elevation and topping out at nearly 9,900 feet. The course still starts and finishes in Nature Valley Mountain Plaza in the heart of Vail Village, but the new design rewards runners with a true summit experience and views that set it apart from nearly any other 20K in the country.

“The 20K has always been our most demanding trail race at the GoPro Mountain Games, and this year brings a new and exciting challenge for athletes,” said Peggy Wolfe, senior director of operations for the Vail Valley Foundation. “This is a course for bold runners. The climb will test you, and the views waiting at Mid-Vail are the kind you won’t forget. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we can’t wait to share it with runners.”

The complete 20K course will be unveiled in the coming days at mountaingames.com and in the Mountain Games app.

A full weekend of running

The 20K is one of several running events getting a refresh at the 2026 GoPro Mountain Games. The adidas TERREX Sunday Funday 5K debuts a brand-new course of its own, and the adidas TERREX 10K Spring Runoff features an improved race format. With each Sunday running race now on its own route, runners will have more room to find their rhythm and race their best.

The Nature Valley Mountain Mud Run is getting a refresh of its own with the all-new Mega Mud Pit: a single, longer pit that replaces the two mud pits of years past for one bigger, muddier challenge. As part of the Mountain Games’ Protect Our Playground commitment to conserving water, the post-race rinse zone has also been replaced this year with a cleanup station stocked with rinse-free body wipes from Rugged Revive and towels.

New for 2026, the Kids Mini Dash brings young runners ages 6 to 12 into the fun with both a long course (approximately 2K) and a short course (approximately 1K). It joins a running lineup that spans every age and ability, including the BFGoodrich Rocky Dog Fun Run, the adidas TERREX Après 5K, and adidas TERREX Pepi’s Face-Off. In all, the 2026 GoPro Mountain Games will host eight running events across the four-day festival.

Registration prices increase May 27

Registration for all 2026 GoPro Mountain Games competitions, including the running events, is open at mountaingames.com. Prices increase on May 27, so athletes are encouraged to register now for the best available rate. Athletes receive exclusive perks, including an athlete bag packed with swag, discounts to Mountains of Music concerts, access to the STōK Cold Brew Athlete Lounge, and more. Spectating remains free and open to all.

Athletes already registered for the 20K who would like to adjust their plans given the increased climb can reach out to registration@vvf.org.

For the full event schedule, race courses and more, visit mountaingames.com or download the Mountain Games app.