Thursday, July 26, 2007

GOV. RITTER URGES QUICK PLAN TO ADDRESS OZONE


 
RITTER URGES QUICK PLAN TO ADDRESS OZONE
 
As the Front Range continues to experience high ozone levels this summer, Gov. Bill Ritter today urged the Denver Regional Air Quality Council to craft a plan to reduce ambient ozone concentrations earlier than the September 2008 deadline.
 
"Developing short and long-term strategies to continue to reduce ozone levels in the Front Range will be difficult and challenging," Gov. Ritter wrote in the letter. "It will require a significant commitment of the RAQC and all interested stakeholders over the next several months to develop solid and dependable actions that will achieve the ozone reductions we need to protect the health of our citizens. I am confident the RAQC can develop and propose both ozone control measures for the 2008 summer ozone season and a long-term plan to ensure compliance with the national standard to protect air quality and the public health in the Denver metropolitan area."
 
The complete text of the letter follows: 
 
July 26, 2007
 
Andrew Spielman
Chairman
Denver Regional Air Quality Council
1445 Market Street, Suite 260
Denver, Colorado 80202
 
Dear Chairman Spielman:
 
The Denver Regional Air Quality Council has been presented with a difficult and challenging assignment – developing an effective plan to reduce ambient ozone concentrations in the Denver metropolitan area.  This plan to reduce ozone must be submitted to the Air Quality Control Commission no later than September 2008. However, because reducing ozone levels is critical to protect the health of our citizens, I urge the RAQC to act more quickly to propose measures that will further reduce ozone concentrations in the 2008 summer ozone season.  The RAQC should set as its immediate goal the reduction or elimination of ozone levels measured above 0.08 ppm.
 
As you are well aware, over the last several years ozone levels in the Front Range have hovered very close to the federal standard of 0.08 parts per million. Throughout the summer season it has become common for many of the 15 Front Range monitors to measure ozone levels above this value.  On Friday, July 20th the Rocky Flats ozone monitor recorded ambient ozone concentrations high enough to violate the federal standard.
 
While this data still must be validated, it underscores the need to be more aggressive in developing and strengthening air quality programs to reduce ambient ozone concentrations.  High levels of ozone can compromise the health of our citizens. The health of the elderly, young children, persons with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, and those who are active outdoors can be impacted on high ozone days. 
 
Through the past efforts of the RAQC, the Air Quality Control Commission, the Air Pollution Control Division, other state agencies, local governments, conservationists, industry and others, strategies have been put in place to reduce ozone levels.  These strategies have worked to reduce ozone, but now more needs to be done.
 
The RAQC is the lead air quality planning organization for the Denver metropolitan area, and as such, I challenge the RAQC to work with these stakeholders to begin immediately to develop and propose additional measures to further reduce ambient ozone concentrations to assure compliance with the national standard.  The RAQC must develop a plan that will ensure long-term compliance with the current federal ozone standard, and consider the addition of elements that would further reduce ozone levels that may be necessary to meet the recently proposed lower federal ozone standard. 
 
Developing short and long-term strategies to continue to reduce ozone levels in the Front Range will be difficult and challenging.  It will require a significant commitment of the RAQC and all interested stakeholders over the next several months to develop solid and dependable actions that will achieve the ozone reductions we need to protect the health of our citizens.  I am confident the RAQC can develop and propose both ozone control measures for the 2008 summer ozone season and a long-term plan to ensure compliance with the national standard to protect air quality and the public health in the Denver metropolitan area. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
 
 
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