Ozone & Auto Testing

The recently released federal ozone standards find the Pikes Peak Region in compliance, but just barely. Lowered from 84, the new standard is 75 parts per billion and we are recording 74 and 73 at the two testing stations in the area. Various groups and individuals were pushing for a standard as low as 60 which would have placed significantly more than the current 11% of counties nationwide out of compliance.

A quick refresher from and earlier column, Ozone (O3) is thought to be a contributor in asthma, heart attacks, and emphysema. Ozone does not come from tailpipes and smoke stacks but nitrous oxides and hydrocarbons do. Those react to sunlight to produce Ozone, and of course we have plenty of sunshine here in Colorado. Combustion does not have to occur for hydrocarbons to be released, oil based paints, wood stains and gasoline all release hydrocarbons as they dry or evaporate.

We have been tracking the rise in Ozone for several years and it seems to have leveled off the past few years, bumping along in the low to mid 70's with the highest readings coming in the summer due primarily to long warm days. If we find ourselves in violation we will be required to develop a mitigation plan. This brings us to the subject of auto emission testing.

Auto emission inspection and testing for carbon monoxide ended a little over a year ago. Keeping the testing in place would not have changed the ozone readings and reinstating it will not solve the problem. We can test for anything, but unless there is a way to clean it up there is no value in burdening auto owners with another testing program

I donít know what kind of ìscrubbersî may be in the design stage to cleanup auto emissions, but the City of Colorado Springs recently participated in a successful test with a company in Woodland Park to scrub the hydrocarbons out of the emissions at a local power plant. Meanwhile, we are back to the old standbys, drive less, don't let your car idle over one minute (even at the drive up window), switch to water based paints and stains, and don't spill the gasoline when you fill the lawnmower.

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