“We’ve got to reduce ozone”

Also, as of Thursday, states face tighter limits on pollution.

The Environmental Protection Agency has dinged Denver and 10 other cities as failing to meet federal smog standards— and Thursday tightened the national limit— driving Colorado back to the drawing board to ensure healthy air.

EPA leaders’ long- delayed decision ratcheting the current 75 parts per billion ozone limit to 70 ppb foists even heavier challenges on high- growth metro Denver and other cities exceeding the standards.

“We’ve got to reduce ozone,” Gov. John Hickenlooper said. “This is not something people are just thinking is harmful. There’s quite a lot of science that says these pollutants, long- term, cause asthma, diminish peoples’ health. ... We want to make sure we don’t lose funding or suffer other punishment.”

State- run air monitoring shows persistent ozone pollution in metro Denver and along the northern Front Range at harmful levels, despite cleaner vehicles and industry. Ozone averages 80 ppb near Golden and 76 ppb in western Fort Collins. Even in Rocky Mountain National Park, ozone hits 74 ppb.

Amongpossible measures that air- quality overseers are mulling: stronger incentives for switching from gas to electric vehicles, requiring better leak- detection at oil and gas facilities, faster phase- out of dirty power plants, deploying infra- red devices to target worst- offending tailpipes, and more subsidies enticing residents to trade in gas lawnmowers for electric ones.

“There’s not an immediate fix. There’s not a silver bullet. We’ve made progress. We’ll probably continue to make progress. But it’s going to be a challenge,” said Ken Lloyd, director of the Regional Air Quality Council, the lead Front Range planning agency. He has worked the issue from all sides of government for four decades.

“It can be done, and it takes time,” Lloyd said.

Steady lowering of ozone limits, driven by the Clean AirAct, is meant to make air safe. The law requires the EPAto base limits on science and prohibits consideration of costs, estimated at $ 1.4 billion a year.

“This standard is achievable,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said. “We expect all but a few areas of the country will meet this standard by 2025.”

Penalties rarely are imposed. McCarthy said sanctions are unlikely.

For metro Denver and Colorado’s northern Front Range— out of compliance with the 75 ppb standard set in 2008— EPA officials said there won’t be a penalty for missing a July 20 deadline for complying, other than having to make a new plan to comply. Other metro areas that failed include Phoenix, New York, Chicago and Bakersfield, Calif.

But the tighter new standard of 70 ppb requires increased action to reduce ozone pollution. It ignited criticism from industry and health groups.

“The EPA doesn’t care about the economy,” National Association of Manufacturers president JayTimmons said, calling on Congress to block new limits until 80 percent of the country has met 75 ppb.

In Congress, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D- Calif., ranking member of the environment and public works committee, was “disappointed a more protective standard was not set.” Sen. Michael Bennet, D- Colo., focused on flexibility. EPA officials “must make implementation of these rulesworkable in Colorado by considering ways to account for the sources of ozone that do not originate in the state,” he said.

Environmental Defense Fund regional director Dan Grossman called the tightened limit “a modest but important step” to make air safe. “Setting it at 70 is a little disappointing. But it does create an opportunity for continued collaboration that will improve air quality.”

Ozone forms when air pollution from industry, vehicles and items such as paint combines with other pollutants and cooks in sunlight. Wind and heat play a role. Elevated ozone causes respiratory harm, especially in the elderly and children with asthma.

Colorado has made progress by requiring oil and gas companies to reduce emissions of ozone precursor chemicals called volatile organic compounds, encouraging a shift to electric vehicles, increasing light- rail transit and inspecting old cars and trucks.

Colorado won’t be the only state struggling. McCarthy said 40 million Americans live in areas where air fails to meet the 75 ppb standard, now deemed not adequately protective.

“Certainly, this will present additional challenges,” saidWill Allison, director of the 180- employee air pollution control division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

“We plan to continue our efforts to reduce emissions of ozone precursors. We’ve had significant economic growth, even while being designated as a non- attainment area,” Allison said. “You can implement costeffective, common- sense emissions controls while still experiencing tremendous economic growth.”

The U. S. ozone standard lags behind goals set elsewhere. The European Environment Agency is aiming for 60 ppb.