First & Fourteenth partner Julian Ellis joined the University of Denver – Sturm College of Law‘s symposium, “Coming to a Neighborhood Near You: The Harmful Effects of Noise Pollution on People and Animals,” where the discussion addressed noise pollution as a public-health, environmental, and legal issue, including the importance of statewide standards that protect communities from harms that often go unseen but are deeply felt.
The issue is especially significant in the wake of Hobbs v. City of Salida, a case First & Fourteenth argued before the Colorado Supreme Court. In Hobbs, the Court upheld Colorado’s Noise Abatement Act and blocked local opt-out permits for for-profit entertainment events, affirming statewide protections Colorado adopted more than 50 years ago to safeguard health, welfare, and quality of life from noise pollution.
After Hobbs, the fight over Colorado’s noise protections shifted to the legislature, where Senate Bill 2698, supported by entertainment and local-government interests, sought to weaken the statewide framework by allowing broader local opt-outs from the Noise Abatement Act. The bill passed the Senate before slowing in the House and was ultimately defeated in committee.
Julian’s remarks connected the legal and public-health stakes of noise regulation to First & Fourteenth’s broader work defending quiet communities and advocating for modernized protections in light of current science rather than weakened ones.
Watch the full symposium recording here: https://lnkd.in/gG32xamV