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Denver Moves From Haze to a Clean-Air Milestone
By MICHAEL JANOFSKY
DENVER, Aug. 31 — Once known as one of the most polluted urban areas for its persistent brown cloud, Denver is about to become the first major city to achieve full compliance with the Clean Air Act by eliminating severe air pollution.
The new designation for attaining federal air quality standards, which is expected to be made official this fall, means that the levels of pollutants in the metropolitan area, while sometimes still visible, have remained within prescribed safe limits for human health for more than three years.
"We're not saying it's pristine," said Dick Long of the Environmental Protection Agency's regional air quality office here. "But the air now meets federal standards."
Nearly all the biggest cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and Dallas, are falling short of federal standards for ozone pollution, a visible and primary ingredient of smog. In addition, at least six metropolitan areas are failing to meet air quality standards for three pollutants or more: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and El Paso.
But the Denver area, which last met federal ozone standards in 1978, became the first urban region with poor air quality to return to acceptable standards for the six most important pollutants the environmental agency monitors — ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, lead and particulate matter, which is better known as soot. That was enough for the agency to promise to move Denver off the list of "nonattainment" areas, as soon as the paperwork is completed.
The change also safeguards federal transportation money, which regions that are not in compliance often lose.
"For us, it's a huge matter of pride," said Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado, a Republican, who credited work by officials over the last 20 years for the change. "Our pride was injured by those awful pictures of a Denver skyline obscured by smog."
The reduction in pollution is impressive, officials here say, because the Denver area has become one of the fastest growing regions in the country over the last decade. Indeed, the growing population has spurred many changes that have led to cleaner air, they say, including new state emission standards for vehicles, limits on wood-burning fireplaces and car pool lanes. Officials hope that a major expansion of Denver's light- rail system this fall, will also help.
Colorado was the first state to alter gasoline to hold down carbon monoxide emissions, and the local power company, Xcel Energy, volunteered to phase out an old coal-fired plant and convert several others to cleaner burning natural gas, a change that has increased electricity costs to local consumers.
Environmental groups contend that while the gains are important, the accelerating growth rate could throw the region out of compliance.
"It's always a good sign that we're making progress on air quality issues," said John Nielsen, senior policy adviser for the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, an advocacy group. "The challenge is, can we continue, given the growth we've seen in the West. There is also the question of whether the Bush administration will make sure the state keeps its eye on the ball."
Environmentalists also expressed concern over the impact of several power plants scheduled for construction along the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
By law, new emissions cannot contribute so many pollutants that they push the region back out of compliance. But even with strict regulations governing output, added pollution from new plants could force state and local governments to impose even stricter guidelines on older sources of pollution.
"The question here is whether we'll be able to bring down emission levels in other areas to accommodate them," Mr. Nielsen said.
Mr. Owens said skeptics had no reason to worry, contending that the new designation for Denver reflects anticipated growth patterns that the environmental agency has taken into consideration.
"We believe our plan will keep us in compliance for the next 20 years," Mr. Owens said.
The recent improvements in Denver's air come at a time when most other cities are still making important strides to reduce pollution, the environmental agency says. Even so, the agency found that in 1999 about 62 million Americans lived in areas where levels for at least one of the main pollutants were considered unhealthful.
Denver's return to clean-air status has come largely through efforts to reduce ozone, carbon monoxide and soot. The environmental agency has told Colorado officials that Denver has met the standards for ozone and carbon monoxide and that approval for sustaining an acceptable level of particulate matter is pending.
Vaughn Whatley, a spokesman for the Denver office of the Environmental Protection Agency, said the new designation might have come sooner were it not for legal challenges to a new, more stringent ozone standard imposed by the agency that was upheld this year by the Supreme Court.
The city will eventually have to comply
with the new, stricter standard, but not for several years. Federal and state
officials everywhere are still debating how to carry out the stricter standard.
Colorado Congressman Supports eCommute Program with EPA Administrator
Whitman
and Congressional Leaders
April 24, 2001
WASHINGTON, DC - To ring in "Earth Week", Rep.
Mark Udall (D-CO) today joined with EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman,
Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), House Minority Leader Tom DeLay and others,
to announce a landmark environmental initiative designed to reduce auto emissions
and fuel consumption by enabling increased numbers of workers to work from
home, or "eCommute." The initiative is called the "National Telework
and Air Quality Pilot Project"
This pilot project creates a first-of its-kind emissions credit training program in five pilot cities, including Denver, Colorado. Research indicates that if an individual eCommutes 1.8 days a week for a year instead of driving their average commuting distance, the miles traveled represent 48 pounds of emissions a year that can be saved from contributing to air pollution.
"I am pleased to support a bipartisan effort that enhances our energy independence by reducing fuel consumption and also assisting working families with alternatives to traffic congestion. This innovative program can have a very positive impact improving the quality of life for workers and families in Colorado." Udall said.
Udall is a leader in telecommuting and energy efficiency. He has sponsored legislation with Senator John Kerry (D-MA) that would expand telecommuting alternatives for small businesses in both the 106th and 107th Congresses.
By M.E. Sprengelmeyer, News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Getting workers out of their cars and onto the Internet could eliminate thousands of tons of air pollution over the next decade, say backers of a new "eCommuting" program.
Denver is one of five cities that will participate in a pilot project announced Tuesday that will let companies earn and sell emissions credits for allowing employees to work at home and tracking the amount of commuting miles they save.
U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, a Boulder Democrat, joined Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and a bipartisan collection of lawmakers in announcing the program Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol. The program, authorized by Congress last year, is the first time the federal government has tried to use emissions credit trading to reduce automobile emissions and local traffic.
Companies that earn credits could sell them on the open market to other firms that need help complying with clean air regulations. It's meant to provide a net reduction in air pollution while also reducing traffic and conserving fuel.
The National Environmental Policy Institute, which developed the program, has estimated that if 10 percent of workers telecommuted one day a week, it could prevent 12,963 tons of air pollution and save more than 1.2 million gallons of fuel each week.
Northglenn Mayor Don Parsons, who works out of a home office, said that in addition to helping the environment, telecommuting improves quality of life.
"The benefit is there is no commute time. You can put in more hours, whether working or with your family," he said. "I get up at 7:30 in the morning and I'm at work at 7:30. And if I want to take a nap I can do that. I don't have to worry about a coat and tie or the frustration of the commute."
The program uses voluntary measures to encourage high-tech companies and others to let their workers stay home at least part of the week. "It's obviously not for everybody, but there certainly are enough in town it could make a difference," Parsons said.
