Denver Post on Last Weekend's Dangerous Ozone

The Denver Post yesterday reported on the weekend's dangerous ozone pollution.

Ken Lloyd, the executive director of the Regional Air Quality Council commented that, "It means we're still in attainment, but the cushion for next year has been reduced." I have to be upfront here, Ken is not looking out for the health of the Denver metro area.

Here's a picture of Ken at a golf tournament hosted by the Colorado Petroleum Association.

That our "cushion" has been reduced is little consolation given that scientists have said that 8-hour concentrations of ozone that exceed 80 parts per billion threaten human health. This last weekend marked the highest ozone levels in the Denver metro area this year, and thereby the greatest human health threat posed by air pollution yet. This is not a cushion, this is a crisis.

When it gets down to it, it seems that Ken would rather attend Colorado Petroleum Association golf tournaments instead of actually working to reduce ozone and protect human health.

When health experts say that 80 parts per billion or lower is the limit needed to protect human health, the question of nonattainment is irrelevant. The bottomline: people suffered tremendously this last weekend, with no help from the Regional Air Quality Council. The fact that we're in attainment is beside the point.