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Tighter EPA ozone rules will pinch Front Range

By Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News

Published March 12, 2008 at 4:28 p.m.
Updated March 12, 2008 at 4:28 p.m.

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The Denver region will need to take dramatic new steps — including the possibility of using more costly gasoline, more vehicle emission testing, and more controls on industry — to cut air pollution in the wake of EPA's decision today to toughen the standard for ground-level ozone.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Stephen Johnson announced today the new nationwide federal health standard would cut allowable ozone levels from the current 80 parts per billion to 75 ppb.

"Today, the EPA is meeting the requirements of the Clean Air Act by signing the most stringent 8-hour standards for ozone ever," Johnson said.

Though the change sounds small — and environmental and public health groups said Wednesday it was insufficient — the tighter standard will send Denver and myriad other cities scrambling to figure out how to further drive down the air pollutants that combine with heat and sunlight to form ozone.

The toughened standard springs from scientific reviews, including that of EPA's own science advisers, finding that the current health limit fell short.

Exposure to ozone is most troubling to those with existing respiratory conditions such as asthma and emphysema. Medical research has found the pollutant reduces lung function even in healthy adults, and can stunt lung development in teenagers.

Last summer, the Denver metro area fell out of compliance with the existing 80 ppb standard, and pollution regulators are working on efforts to get the region back into clean air status. In coming years, they'll have to dig even deeper to push the metro area down to the 75 ppb level.

In Denver, and elsewhere, it will prove challenging. Every fuel-burning industry and every vehicle owner will likely feel the effects.

"When you get these standards as low as they're going, it's not just the low-hanging fruit that's going to be dealt with — you have to look at people's everyday activities," said Stan Dempsey, a lobbyist for the Colorado Petroleum Association.

Ken Lloyd, executive director of the Regional Air Quality Council, an agency charged with cutting metro area pollution, wouldn't speculate on what measures might be needed, but acknowledged it would be challenging for the region — and the rest of the country — to attain.

"It's clear it's going to require a combination of federal, regional, state and local strategies," said Lloyd, suggesting new standards for engines and vehicles would have to come from the federal government. "This isn't just one a problem at one level."

Environmentalists and public health advocates had called for setting the standard at the 60 to 70 ppb level, citing health research supporting a much tougher limit.

"It's a good first step in the right direction, but clearly we have more to do here," said Jeremy Nichols, an activist with Rocky Mountain Clean Air Action of the new limit.

Nichols said the new limits would require states to work together to cut pollution at a regional level, as a portion of the ozone in any region's air moves in from other population centers, or industrial clusters, such as oil and gas fields.

That could mean impacts to a wide swath of industries ranging from power plants and oil refineries down. It will likely affect homeowners as well, who could be faced with pressure to use cleaner-burning lawnmowers and subject their automobiles to tougher tailpipe emissions testing.

Dempsey, of the CPA, said it's possible vehicles across Colorado would be required to endure emission tests. Currently, only Denver-area vehicles must undergo the biennial testing. At the same, Dempsey said, his own energy development industry will likely have to take on more pollution control measures.

"We realize more attention will be paid to oil and gas activities, and we're prepared to work with the agencies to accomplish what their goals are," Dempsey said.

Comments

  • March 12, 2008

    4:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    anya writes:

    It's interesting that the Federal Government is the enemy lately. Inflation is roaring along, not to mention the already record prices for oil, and everything mentioned in this article somehow will end up costing us a more and more money. We worked hard to meet the EPA guidelines, and when we do meet the goals, they move the goalpost. ENOUGH for awhile.

    I know, let's just send all of our jobs overseas, let them do the pollution, and we can all go live under bridges and in caves. That way, the wealthy will have cheap imports, great health care, and wide-open roads.

  • March 12, 2008

    9:40 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    bxwatso writes:

    This is just another example of the right wing Bush administration ignoring the environment and giving free passes to corporate poluters.