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Air Pollution Control DivisionOzone Reduction Efforts
Colorado is in the midst of an effort to reduce ozone air pollution. High levels of ozone present health concerns both for healthy adults and for sensitive people, particularly the elderly, young children and those with asthma or other respiratory ailments. Symptoms include stinging eyes and throats, chest pains, coughing and breathing difficulty. 2009 Activities: The New Ozone StandardColorado is evaluating the impact of a new, more stringent ozone standard that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued in March 2008. The state is determining what areas will violate the standard and what additional ozone control measures are needed to meet the standard.
NOx EvaluationIn addition, a NOx evaluation process has been established by the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division to evaluate the control of emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) to address three planning efforts: north Front Range ozone, regional haze and Rocky Mountain National Park nitrogen deposition. 2008 Activities: Ozone Action PlanThe Denver-metropolitan and North Front Range areas became "nonattainment" areas for the federal ozone standard on November 20, 2007, when a deferral by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expired. The nonattainment designation is a result of a violation of the federal 8-hour ozone standard. The standard is based on a three-year average of monitoring data. Air quality monitoring data for the 2005-2007 averaging period confirms a violation of the eight-hour health-based standard. A detailed plan to reduce ozone was developed by the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division, along with the Regional Air Quality Council and the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization. The resulting attainment plan was approved by the Air Quality Control Commission in December 2008, with legislative review expected in 2009. Once all state approval processes have been completed, the plan ultimately will be submitted by the governor to the EPA. The plan will require further reductions in ozone levels beyond what was required through an earlier Ozone Early Action Compact. The Ozone Early Action Compact allowed EPA to defer classifying the Denver metropolitan area under the 8-hour ozone standard. That deferral expired on November 20, 2007. 2004-2007 Activities: Ozone Early Action CompactIn April 2004, EPA designated the Denver area (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson and parts of Larimer and Weld counties) as nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone standard, but deferred the effective date of the designation based on a commitment from the State of Colorado, the Regional Air Quality Council and others to implement ozone control measures sooner than required by the Clean Air Act. This commitment was contained in the Denver Early Action Compact. In return for this early action and for meeting certain milestones, EPA agreed to defer the effective date of the nonattainment designation under the 8-hour ozone standard. That deferral expired and the area forfeited its participation in the Early Action Compact program. A new 2008 Ozone Action Plan was then developed. Stakeholder PresentationsOctober 8, 2009
June 18, 2009
May 21, 2009 Other Ozone Information
Air Pollution Control Division Suggestions and comments regarding the Air Quality Control Division can be forwarded to comments.apcd@state.co.us
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