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Environment
KUNC's Colorado Edition

Air quality is improving across most of the US, but the Mountain West is falling behind

By Rae Solomon,
Erin O'Toole
Published November 17, 2021 at 2:40 PM MST
Rick Kimpel
/
CC BY-SA 2.0

Many cities across the U.S. have had success lowering harmful ground-level ozone in recent years, but the exception to that trend is in the American West. Just last summer, the Front Range — and Denver in particular — recorded some of the worst air quality levels on the entire planet.

READ MORE: Western Boom Cities See Spike in Harmful Ozone

Colorado Edition spoke to Kaiser Health News environment reporter Jim Robbins, who helped explain this trend.

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KUNC's Colorado Edition Air QualityAir Pollution
Rae Solomon
I am the Rural and Small Communities Reporter at KUNC. That means my focus is building relationships and telling stories from under-covered pockets of Colorado.
See stories by Rae Solomon
Erin O'Toole
As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
See stories by Erin O'Toole
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