Good News, Bad News

The good news is that the 2007 Summer of Ozone is behind us and here in the Denver metro area, things are cool and clear for the most part. That's because ozone usually doesn't climb to unhealthy levels in the fall or winter. Lately, ozone concentrations have been less than half of where the federal health standards are set, a welcome sign of relief.

The bad news is that the summer of 2008 is still ahead and we're still scrambling to come up with a strategy for reducing ozone next year.

Remember earlier in the year, Governor Bill Ritter called on the Regional Air Quality Council to develop a plan to reduce ozone pollution in 2008 and beyond. Although there have been several productive meetings so far, an ozone reduction plan for 2008 has yet to emerge.

The timing is disconcerting. If we're going to strengthen our clean air rules for 2008, it's got to happen soon. Not only do we need time to get rules adopted, but industry needs time to comply.

It's not that we lack options. Some have suggested targeting the oil and gas industry's ozone-forming pollution, ramping up efforts to clean up dirty cars, or even making our gasoline less volatile. If any of these options are going to be adopted, it needs to happen soon.

With our health on the line, it would be a shame if we couldn't strengthen our clean air rules in time for 2008. It looks like the window of opportunity is steadily closing, hopefully we can make it through in time.

Go Rockies! And Go to Ozone Meetings!

With a sweep of the National League Championship Series, their first-ever trip to the World Series, and arguably one of the best team of players in the country right now, the Colorado Rockies have to be the biggest breath of fresh air in the Denver metro area right now.

But the biggest chance for fresh air in the Denver metro area will come from reducing ground-level ozone pollution, also known as smog. Next week, we'll get another chance to make sure we get an ozone reduction plan that makes the cuts we need.

The meeting will be in Lakewood next Tuesday evening from 6:30-8:00 at the Clements Community Center in the Columbine Room. The details, including a map, are online here >>

If you go, make sure you voice your support for reducing smog forming pollution from coal burning power plants and from oil and gas drilling, and speak out for cleaner cars.

Also, don't forget to point out that to keep all of the Denver metro area safe and healthy, we need to reduce ozone pollution to 60 parts per billion or lower.

Go Rockies!

2007 Summer in Review

The summer's long over, but we haven't had a chance to really take a look at how bad our ozone pollution was. As the Denver metro area prepares to be designated a "nonattainment" area, or to be in violation of federal health standards for ozone, let's take a look at what pushed us over the edge.

• Among all the 13 ozone monitors in the Denver metro area, ozone health standards were exceeded 50 times this last summer. In 2006, health standards were exceeded 66 times.
• Health standards were exceeded at all but three monitors, the Downtown Denver, Downtown Ft. Collins, and Greeley monitors.
• The Rocky Flats experienced 12 exceedances, the most of any Denver metro monitor. In 2006, Rocky Flats had 11 exceedances.
• Most monitors registered fewer exceedances this year than in 2006, but four monitors--Boulder, Fort Collins West, Golden, and Rocky Flats--all registered more exceedances this year than last.
  

But that's not all. Current standards limit ozone to no more than 80 parts per billion over an eight hour period. However, EPA health science advisers are recommending that new ozone standards limit ozone to no more than 60 parts per billion over an eight hour period.

If ozone standards were set at 60 parts per billion, as health science advisers are urging, the Denver metro area would have exceeded health standards 865 times this last summer.

We've violated federal health standards for ozone and it's no wonder. We're far from being anything close to healthy as far as our air quality goes here in Denver.