This year, Denver and parts of the Northern Colorado Front Range, which include Boulder, Larimer and Weld counties, exceeded air quality control standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Under EPA’s Clean Air Act, ozone levels are not to surpass .08 parts per million. According to Environmental Defense consultant Isaac Silverman, levels need to remain between .06 and .07 to protect human health.
Ozone levels in Fort Collins alone reached as high as .088 last summer, placing Larimer County in violation. There will be many repercussions in addition to the obvious environmental impact. “Once you’re in non-compliance, it’s very difficult to get out of it,” said Mike Silverstein of the Colorado Air Pollution Control division.
Despite hurting economic development, it will be beneficial for area industries to face tighter pollution restrictions, and for the State of Colorado to implement more stringent vehicle emissions standards. After all, poor air quality is unhealthy for us and the environment.
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