Colorado’s ozone fight could drive up costs

EPA Logo. Image credit: EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted a new ozone pollution standard of 70 parts per billion (ppb) in October, down from the 2008 Ozone Standard of 75 ppb. Larimer County is one of 14 counties across the country projected to not meet the EPA's 2025 ozone standard. Ozone monitoring station take hourly measurements of ozone levels and average these measurements over 8-hour periods. The three highest days are eliminated so the fourth highest date is the first one to be recorded and counted.

As a result of the Ozone Non-Attainment Area, the Denver Metro Area/North Front Range has been bumped to "moderate non-attainment". The non-attainment requires the state to create and revise an implementation plan to determine whether the state will meet the 2008 standard by 2017. The bump in non-attainment status requires the state to meet mandatory regulations and may lead to potential decreases in federal highway and transportation funding.

For more information about the new ozone standard and to see potential strategies, read the article on the Coloradoan.