How Colorado is regulating 5 ‘air toxics’ in vulnerable neighborhoods

Colorado is taking a significant step to protect its residents from air pollutants that cause cancer and other health problems by developing its own state-level air toxic health standards. The state has identified five "priority" chemicals - benzene, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, hexavalent chromium compounds, and hydrogen sulfide - and is setting health-based standards to limit their presence in the air. These standards will be designed to protect people exposed to the chemicals long-term, such as those living near emission sources. The state's new regulations will draw on expert knowledge and community input to protect people's health. Communities in Colorado, such as Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, and Commerce City, have long suffered from air pollution, and the new regulations aim to address this issue. The state is placing six new air quality monitors in locations around the state to measure concentrations of the five priority air toxics. The monitors will be placed in communities that are overly impacted by social and environmental hazards, such as Commerce City and La Salle. The five air toxics selected by Colorado all have negative impacts on health, with four known to cause cancer. Exposure to even low amounts of some chemicals, such as benzene, may lead to cancer. The state's efforts to regulate air toxics will help to reduce the health risks associated with air pollution and promote a healthier environment for its residents.