FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2004
Contact: Josh Freed
(202) 225-4431

DENVER, CO – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) blasted Governor Bill Owens and President George Bush for gutting environmental protections that were improving air quality in the Colorado. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that nine Colorado counties, including Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson, completely or partially failed to meet air quality standards.

The standards measure the amount of smog-causing ozone in the air. Most of the counties that did not meet health standards were in California or the eastern third of the United States. Ozone pollution has been linked to a number of serious health problems, particularly increased respiratory illnesses. Colorado was the only state in the EPA’s western region to have any counties fail the air quality standards. Counties that failed to meet EPA standards have three years to develop plans to return to compliance.

“Colorado’s failure to meet air quality standards is a warning to all of us that our current policies are not working,” said Rep. DeGette. “After so many years of hard work to reduce air pollution, it is a tragedy that we are sliding back to the bad old days of brown clouds and increased asthma rates for seniors and children.”

The state and Denver area governments have already begun to take steps to address Denver’s growing ozone problem. These improvements, however, are endangered by Governor Bill Owens’ Air Quality Control Commission proposal to fast track the approval of federal New Source Review standards supported by President George Bush. Under this plan, some coal-fired power plants could emit more ozone pollutants into the atmosphere than currently allowed, increasing Colorado’s ozone problem at the very time we are required to reduce it.

“The EPA’s ruling should serve as a loud and clear warning to all Coloradoans that our current policies are failing. We know what causes air pollution and we know the impact it has on people and the economy,” said Rep. DeGette. “Despite this understanding, President Bush and Governor Owens continue to support the interests of polluters over the health of our citizens and economic well being of our state. Unless they change their policies, Coloradoans are going to have to get used to this kind of bad news.”

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