State regulators set to release plan to address Front Range ozone
Colorado may be known for clean mountain air, but the Front Range has one of the worst ozone problems in the country. The Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to reclassify nine counties on the Front Range from "serious" to "severe" violators of federal ozone standards.
Last year, the state marked a ominous milestone, a record 65 ozone alert days. When we exceed the federal limit for what's considered safe, state regulators are required to come up with an action plan.
That plan will be rolled out next week and some environmental and health experts warn, it doesn't go far enough.
"We've been here before," said Gregg Thomas, Director of Denver's Environmental Quality Division.
He says every few years the state develops a new plan, and every time, it doesn't go far enough.
"So the question is 'are we going to continue to live on the edge and just keep doing what modeling needs us to do knowing said before and right back boat we're in?'"
Ground level ozone - different from that in the atmosphere is caused when chemicals from oil and gas and vehicle exhaust primarily are exposed to sun and heat. The state legislature has passed several laws aimed at improving air quality including allocating money for electric school buses and free transit for the month of August.
Danny Katz with COPIR, a consumer advocacy group, says it can, and should, do a lot more.
"Unfortunately, a lot different pollutants lead to high ozone, but fortunately it gives us a lot of avenues to pursue avenues bring cleaner air."
He says those avenues include more incentives for electric vehicles and mass transit, more electric lawnmowers and home appliances, and a ban on oil and gas drilling during ozone season. While it will cost more, he and Thomas say the costs will be even greater if we don't act aggressively now.
Ozone can lead to strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and lower life expectancy.
"And so when does health hit that tipping point," said Thomas.
State regulators will release their new plan to address ozone August 5th. Environmental and health advocates are urging Coloradans to weigh in before then.