Four Days Straight

Denver's skyline this morning was marred by dangerous fine particle pollution for the fourth day straight.

For four straight days now, Denver has been suffering dangerously unhealthy fine particle pollution. The Rocky Mountain News finally reported on this crisis, today, noting that this is the first time Denver has ever had to struggle through such horrendous pollution. Today was the fourth day in a row that a red alert was issued because of unhealthy pollution.

Health standards limit fine particle pollution to no more than 35 micrograms/cubic meter over a 24-hour period. Yesterday, fine particle pollution levels reached 74 micrograms per cubic meter in downtown Denver, the highest levels ever recorded. Dangerous pollution was also reported at National Jewish (Colfax and Colorado) and at Chatfield Reservoir south of Denver.

People need to be extremely careful today. Please, don't drive unless you absolutely have to and please don't take your kids outside to play.

A lot of people have been asking what is causing this terrible pollution. While the weather is helping make it happen, the pollution is coming from smokestacks, tailpipes, and all the dirt and dust that's still on our roads from over a month of sanding and salting.

Local governments here are required to sweep the streets within three to four days after sanding. In many parts of the Denver metro region, it's been weeks since any sweeping has taken place. Unfortunately, this serious oversight has put peoples' health throughout the region at risk.

It's also unfortunate that, despite our red alert days, large industrial sources of air pollution, like coal burning power plant, have not been required to make any cuts in their pollution to keep our air clean. While people are being asked by the state not to drive, the state is not asking Xcel Energy to burn less coal.

Four days straight of dangerous air pollution should be a wake up call for all of us.