Toxic Pollution Data Released

The Environmental Protection Agency released toxic release inventory data from 2005 yesterday. The data shows what toxic chemicals are dumped in our water, on land, and in our air. Nearly 35% of all the toxic releases were in our air.

And on the air front, things aren't looking good. Toxic air pollution increased by 116.9 million pounds, or 3%, between 2004 and 2005. Rising toxic air pollution is never good news.

Here in the Rocky Mountains, toxic air pollution actually decreased in New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, while it increased in Colorado by nearly 2%, or around 39,000 pounds. Colorado does rank 42nd in the country in terms of toxic air pollution, so things could be worse. At the same time, things could be better--a lot better.

Making things worse, toxic air pollution is actually much higher in all the Rocky Mountain states. Remember, the oil and gas industry is exempted from reporting its toxic air emissions. So while toxic pollution from oil and gas developments in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming continues to rise, posing serious public health threats, the oil and gas industry doesn't have to report a thing.

This is yet one more reason why we feel comfortable labeling the oil and gas industry the air pollution king of the Rocky Mountain region.