Smoggy

Well, poop. Denver’s back on the EPA air pollution list.

The declaration marks a major step backward for Denver, which, less than two years ago, scored national headlines for a decades-long effort that cleaned its air of all major pollutants regulated by the federal government.
Now, after three years of elevated smog levels, coupled with new, tougher health standards for smog – or ground-level ozone – the region likely faces years of fresh efforts to reduce it.
The most obvious inconvenience for residents: requirements for cleaner-burning gasoline that are expected to add a penny or so per gallon to already skyrocketing gas prices.
[…] Normally, falling onto EPA’s dirty-air list – being classified as a “non-attaintment” area in agency lingo – means the federal government takes more authority over pollution-cutting efforts. It can also result in punitive action, such as a loss of highway funds or stricter controls on new plants or factories, if the air doesn’t improve.
But under a new kind of agreement between the EPA and Colorado, the agency has agreed to hold off on any action for three years, while state and local officials attempt to bring ozone levels down using their own techniques. Under this approach, called an Early Action Compact, Colorado hopes to cut smog levels by putting in controls that will cut emissions of ozone-forming compounds by nearly 50 percent on thousands of oil and gas wells. Also, the state and the EPA will require refineries to produce a lower-volatility gasoline, which should also reduce ozone contributors.

It’s not all bad news …

It’s important to remember, too, he said, that the region is only “slightly” above the standard and not in the same dire straits as a place such as Southern California, where it could take until at least 2021 to bring smog levels down.