Fort Collins at Risk

As the Fort Collins Coloradoan reports today, the northern Front Range city is in the midst of an ozone health crisis along with the rest of the Denver metro area.

One monitor, called the Fort Collins West monitor, was first installed in 2006. Since then, the monitor has recorded some of the highest ozone levels in the entire Denver metro area. Last year, it recorded an 8-hour ozone concentration of 97 parts per billion, the highest reading in Colorado. This year, the monitor hit 97 parts per billion on June 30th. Federal health standards limit ozone to no more than 80 parts per billion.

Despite these high ozone levels, we won't know whether the Fort Collins West monitor will show a violation of federal health standards until three years of data has been gathered.

That's not to say that Fort Collins is not experiencing unhealthy ozone pollution. An actual violation of federal health standards, which triggers more stringent federal rules, only happens when an area has several days of unhealthy air. If that sounds a bit unnerving, you're not alone. One day of unhealthy air pollution is one day too many in our mind.

It's a critical year for ozone right now, but with the Fort Collins West monitor showing exceptionally high ozone levels for two years straight now, 2008 will be critical as well. In any event, the Denver metro area has a ways to go before it's clear of smog.