Weak Particulate Standards Puts Rocky Mountain Communities at Risk

Clean Air Watch's Blog for Clean Air reports on more fallout over the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) failure to protect people from particulate pollution.

This is more than just fallout, though. The decision to not lower annual standards for fine particle pollution has the potential to lead to 30,000 deaths annually.

The EPA's decision will leave communities throughout the Rocky Mountain region polluted and at risk. Scientists recommend that the EPA adopt a standard that limits annual fine particle pollution to no more than 12 micrograms per cubic meter in order to protect our health and prevent deaths. Since 2000, this annual limit has been exceeded in the Rocky Mountain region.

According to EPA monitoring data (presented below), fine particle pollution has exceeded 12 micrograms per meter cubed in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming communities over three dozen times. Utah in particular suffers some of the worst fine particle pollution in the Rockies. Communities in the Salt Lake metro area suffered particle pollution above scientifically recommended health standards every year between 2000 and 2005.

Exceedances of Scientifically Recommended Annual Fine Particle Standards
in the Rocky Mountain Region, 2000-2005

State	Monitor Location	Annual Mean (micrograms/cubic meter)	Year
Utah	Ogden, 2570 Grant Ave.	17.8	2000
Utah	Ogden, 425 W. 2550 North	13.1	2000
Utah	Salt Lake City, 1795 Warm Springs	14.2	2000
Utah	Salt Lake City, 3275 W. 3100 S.	12.3	2000
Utah	Salt Lake City, 5715 S. 1400 E.	12.1	2000
Wyoming	Sheridan, 45 West 12th St.	12.1	2000
Colorado	Adams County 4301 E. 72nd Ave.	12.3	2001
Colorado	Denver, 2105 Broadway	12.7	2001
Colorado	Denver, 14th and Albion	13.5	2001
Utah	Logan, 125 W. Center Street	15.6	2001
Utah	Salt Lake City, 5715 S. 1400 E.	13.2	2001
Utah	Salt Lake City, 1795 Warm Springs	14.1	2001
Utah	Salt Lake City, 1675 S. 600 E.	12.4	2001
Utah	West Valley City, 3275 W. 3100 S.	12.9	2001
Utah	Herriman, 12950 S. 5600 West	13.3	2001
Wyoming	Lander, 600 Washington	17.1	2001
Colorado	Grand Junction, 650 South Ave.	12.0	2002
New Mexico	Sunland Park City Yard	12.2	2002
Utah	Logan, 125 W. Center St.	14.7	2002
Utah	Salt Lake City, 5715 S. 1400 E.	14.1	2002
Utah	Salt Lake City, 1795 Warm Springs	15.5	2002
Utah	Salt Lake City, 1675 South 600 East	12.7	2002
Utah	West Valley City, 3275 W. 3100 S.	13.4	2002
Utah	Ogden, 228 32nd Street	14.5	2002
Utah	Washington Terrace, 4601 S. 300 W.	12.5	2002
Utah	Ogden, 425 W. 2550 North	12.2	2002
Utah	Salt Lake City, 1795 Warm Springs	12.3	2003
Colorado	Grand Junction 650 South Ave.	12.4	2004
Utah	Logan, 125 W. Center St.	15.2	2004
Utah	Bountiful, 171 W. 1370 N.	13.3	2004
Utah	Salt Lake City, 1795 Warm Springs	17.8	2004
Utah	Salt Lake City, 5715 S. 1400 E.	14.3	2004
Utah	Salt Lake City, 1675 S. 600 E.	14.2	2004
Utah	West Valley City, 3275 W. 3100 S.	13.9	2004
Utah	Lindon, 30 North Main	12.8	2004
Utah	Ogden, 228 32nd St.	13.9	2004
Utah	Logan, 125 W. Center St.	13.0	2005
Utah	Salt Lake City, 1795 Warm Springs	14.1	2005
Utah	West Valley City, 3275 W. 3100 S.	12.0	2005