Officials warn worsening air conditions could be even more dangerous for state residents: 'Has sickened or killed many'

Taking a deep breath in Colorado could be risky as the state's ground-level ozone pollution worsens. Now, environmental experts have warned the state is falling behind on meeting a 2027 deadline for improvement.

What's happening?

A Colorado Newsline analysis detailed how Colorado is failing to meet federal ground-level air pollution standards. As of 2022, the state was downgraded from a "serious" to a "severe" violator of Environmental Protection Agency ozone standards.

While atmospheric ozone protects the Earth from UV radiation, ground-level ozone is air pollution that can harm the environment and human health, per The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. 

Colorado Newsline explained that ground-level ozone forms when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react. Dry conditions and ample sunlight make a region especially vulnerable to this type of air pollution — which is the case in Colorado.

Colorado's main source of ozone pollution is "oil and gas activity" from gas-powered cars, trucks, and lawn equipment. While Colorado has a state implementation plan to improve air quality by the summer of 2027, experts told Colorado Newsline that meeting that deadline would be "tough." 

"Since 2004, Colorado officials have filed plans to meet EPA ozone standards and then failed to meet the standards," Colorado Newsline reported. "That's more than 20 years of false expectations. And all that time the state's polluted air has sickened or killed many Coloradans."

Why is ground-level ozone important to address?

Ozone is one of the six air pollutants named in the Clean Air Act, a long-standing federal air quality law meant to reduce pollution in the U.S. The EPA works with states and tribal regions to meet these standards for reducing air pollution. Currently, Colorado is in violation of the Clean Air Act. 

As Colorado Newsline highlighted, air pollution contributes to human health impacts, especially for low-income residents who are more likely to live near industrial pollution epicenters. 

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported that ground-level ozone pollution can cause short-term health impacts like coughing, breathing difficulty, chest pains, and eye, nose, and throat irritation. For those with asthma, air pollution can also trigger more frequent asthma attacks. Long-term exposure is linked to lung disease, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. 

In 2021, about 490,000 deaths worldwide were attributable to ozone pollution, according to the State of Global Air Report 2024. Children, the elderly, people who work outdoors, those with asthma, and the immunocompromised are most at risk for these health impacts.

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"The more Coloradans understand the health risks of air pollution, the more likely they are to insist that state leaders address it with the necessary urgency," Colorado Newsline reported.

What's being done about ozone pollution in Colorado?

Colorado leaders and environmental organizations are attempting to tackle the situation, though Colorado Newsline said they aren't entirely sure of the best tactics. That's partly because much of the pollution in Colorado doesn't come from the state.

Colorado's Air Pollution Control Division estimated that in 2023, 78% of ozone in the state's most polluted areas came from sources outside the region, including from as far away as China, per The Denver Gazette. 

In 2023, Colorado officials issued a measure to curb pollution from oil and gas operations in the state. Another ban was adopted last year regulating government use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment in summer months.

But environmental advocates and legislators told Colorado Newsline that opposition from conservative officials and industry groups blocked "more aggressive ozone measures" in the state. Last year, the state blocked a proposal prohibiting high-pollution oil drilling and fracking in the summer.

When ozone levels are high, like during sweltering summer days, Colorado officials advise locals to limit time outdoors, schedule needed outdoor activity for mornings or late evenings, and substitute walking instead of running when exercising outdoors to limit deep inhalation of pollutants. If you are a Colorado local, you can sign up to receive daily ozone alerts from May 31 to August 31 from the Air Pollution Control Division.

Colorado officials also recommend making planet-friendly updates to your routine to help lower air pollution, like using public transportation, choosing electric lawn equipment and vehicles, and simply recycling. 

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