September Ozone

After last weekend's surprisingly high and unhealthy ozone levels, the state has announced it's extending its ozone forecasts into this Labor Day weekend.

It's good news for our health. Last weekend, ozone skyrocketed, yet no health alerts were issued. For many, ozone alerts are an important part of keeping safe. People with asthma, for example, should probably stay inside during high ozone days to avoid triggering an attack. Last weekend is a mistake the state doesn't want to make again, and we're pleased that they're keeping a close eye on ozone this weekend.

But the fact that ozone is likely to be a problem this weekend is a somber reminder of how bad this summer's ozone pollution has been. Not only did we violate federal health standards, but high ozone levels have continued into September, which is very unusual. By September 1st, ozone is usually not a problem in Denver, but this year it might be.

In other news, Dr. Donald Steadman with the University of Denver says that if we only got rid of ethanol, we would have no ozone problem in Denver. It's wishful thinking.

It's true that any ozone reduction plan needs to look at ethanol issues. We might even need to require ethanol blended gasoline to be less volatile, which in turn would reduce ozone forming hydrocarbons. But the buck doesn't stop with ethanol; it's certainly no silver bullet.

To really beat ozone, it's going to take a comprehensive plan that tackles tailpipe emissions, smokestack pollution, land use planning, and other sources of ozone forming pollution. There's no silver bullet, just silver buckshot.