Air Quality: A Local Concern, A National Issue

Sublette County has suffered serious air quality impacts from natural gas development, affecting the way we live, and the health of our children, parents, friends and neighbors.  Dangerous  ozone at breathing level has risen to the point that the Governor has asked the EPA to specially designate our county for more air quality regulation, called ozone "non-attainment."  The Dept. of Environmental Quality has frequently admitted that our high ozone levels are created by emissions from our local natural gas development.

In an unusual, widely-studied situation occuring in the winter, ozone levels are sometimes higher than in Denver or Los Angeles.  Eighteen times in our lightly-populated region, we have been issued "ozone advisories" by the Wyoming Dept. of Environmental Quality advising us to stay indoors.   We live in a recreational paradise, where skiiing, ice fishing, sledding, and other winter sports opportunities are all around us.  Staying indoors seems ludicrous.

We have asked our county commissioners, BLM and DEQ for a Health Impact Assessment: a  cumulative look at the many ways in which our mental, physical, and community health is impacted by the boom.  So far, our tax dollars have been invested in a smaller, less comprehensive analysis.

Next: Sublette County Human Health Risk Assessment on Air Toxics Inhalation