Denver Area Close to Exceeding Federal Ozone Standards
July 12, 2007, DENVER---State health department
ozone experts today reported that preliminary ozone
monitoring data from one of the state's monitoring stations,
the Rocky Flats North monitoring station, indicated that the
Front Range area soon may fall out of compliance with
federal ozone standards. Four consecutive high ozone
readings at any particular site would put the Denver region
out of compliance. One more high reading at this site would
do so.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment's executive director, Jim Martin, said, "Ozone
levels are constantly monitored and are a high priority for
the department and the administration because of the health
effects associated with high ozone readings. Ensuring that
we attain the federal standard for ozone is important to
protect public health. If we exceed the current federal
standard soon or need to comply with more stringent ozone
standards in the future we will take the necessary action to
make sure Colorado's ozone levels are in compliance."
The Regional Air Quality Council, in cooperation with the
department, issues Ozone Action Alerts on days when division
meteorologists expect conditions to lead to ground-level
ozone concentrations of 75 ppb or above in the
metropolitan-Denver and Front Range region. Because high
ozone levels can compromise public health, especially among
children, the elderly and those with pre-existing
respiratory conditions such as asthma, Martin advised
individuals to stay indoors when ozone alerts are issued.
He added that individuals can take steps to help reduce
ozone concentrations by refueling in the evening, keeping
vehicles well maintained and not overfilling gas tanks,
mowing lawns in the evening, tightening gas caps after
fill-ups, and doing painting projects in the evening.
Martin noted that for three summers, Colorado has met the
federal ozone standard. "Last year the Colorado Air Quality
Control Commission adopted some of the nation's toughest
regulations on emissions from oil and gas development, with
the expectation that the regulations would help reduce ozone
levels. Those measures, in conjunction with many others on
the books, are very important to manage and reduce ozone
levels. But we continue to look for ways to lower ozone
concentrations."
The current federal health-based standard for
ground-level ozone is 80 parts per billion (ppb) measured
over eight hours. In June, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) proposed to lower the ground-level ozone
standard to a level between 70 and 75 ppb measured over
eight hours, and the agency reports that it will finalize a
new federal standard next spring.
"We have been watching the ozone levels closely this
summer to understand how the meteorology is working with the
various emission control strategies that are in place to
reduce ozone concentrations in the area," said Paul
Tourangeau, director of the Air Pollution Control Division
at the Department of Public Health and Environment. "The air
quality professionals in the division also are working to
identify measures we could take to make significant
improvement in ozone levels," said Tourangeau.
In the event that there is a fourth high reading this
summer at any one of the ozone monitoring sites, Tourangeau
said the Air Pollution Control Division will work with the
Regional Air Quality Council to develop a plan to further
reduce ozone concentrations to attain the standard.
"Once there is a fourth high reading at a particular
site, the Regional Air Quality Council will take the lead
and work with the division to formulate air quality plans to
address ground-level ozone in the Denver area," he said.
Governor Bill Ritter recently appointed nine new members
to the 11-member council. Any ozone control plan proposed by
the council, in conjunction with the Air Pollution Control
Division, would have to be approved by the Colorado Air
Quality Control Commission, and then approved by EPA under
the Clean Air Act.
"We intend to work closely with the Regional Air Quality
Council, as well as the Air Quality Control Commission, the
business community, the medical community, conservationists
and others to move as rapidly as we can to put new or
revised measures in place to reduce ozone pollution, and to
keep the Front Range area in attainment for ozone," said
Martin.
Martin continued, "In the process, we also will be
looking at things that can be done to meet the more
stringent ozone standards that the EPA is considering. The
department is confident that we can meet this challenge,
given the spirit of collaboration we have seen from
industry, public health officials, conservationists and
others in the past."
Until an evaluation of ozone control measures is complete,
it is not known what strategies would be relied upon in the
Front Range area to achieve the health-based standard for
ozone.
Information regarding the region's effort to maintain
compliance with the federal standard is best viewed on a Web
page maintained by the Air Pollution Control Division.
http://apcd.state.co.us/psi/ozone.htm. Tables located at
this site provide an overview of the region's status.
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