SOS | SAVE OUR SKIES ALLIANCE
  • Background
    • FAQs
    • News + Updates
  • Affected Areas
    • Arapahoe County >
      • City of Aurora
      • City of Centennial
      • City of Cherry Hills Village
      • City of Englewood
      • City of Glendale
      • City of Greenwood Village
      • City of Littleton
      • City of Sheridan
    • City and County of Broomfield
    • Boulder County >
      • City of Boulder
      • City of Erie
      • City of Gunbarrel
      • City of Lafayette
      • City of Longmont
      • City of Louisville
      • Town of Superior
      • Unincorporated Boulder County
    • Jefferson County >
      • City of Arvada
      • City of Edgewater
      • City of Golden
      • City of Lakewood
      • City of Westminster
      • City of Wheat Ridge
  • Front Range Airports
    • Boulder Municipal Airport | BDU
    • Centennial Airport | APA
    • Colorado Springs Municipal Airport | COS
    • Denver International Airport | DIA
    • Erie Municipal Airport | EIK
    • Front Range Airport | CFO
    • Greely-Weld County Airport | GXY
    • Meadow Lake Airport | FLY
    • Northern Colorado Regional Airport | FNL
    • Parkland Estates Airpark
    • Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport | BJC
    • Van Aire Skyport |
    • Vance Brand Municipal Airport | LMO
  • Issues
    • Plane Crashes
    • Lead Exposure
    • Health Impacts
    • Noise Pollution
    • Economic Impact
    • Environmental Impact
    • Security Issues
    • Proposed Solutions
  • Press
    • Plane Crashes
    • Media Coverage
    • aviation perspectives
  • Contact
    • Get Involved
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Air Quality

If there's one thing that is obvious to everyone living on the Front Range (and beyond), it is that our air quality often leaves something to be desired. There are lots of contributors to this issue, including wildfire smoke from our ever-growing wildfire season, but there are factors within our control that contribute to our air quality issues. So far this summer, Denver has been on par with Beijing for multiple days, and that shows no signs of slowing. 

Although much attention is paid to oil and gas operations, power generating stations, oil refineries, and landfills get a lot of attention for their contribution to greenhouse gases and poor air quality, aviation is a big contributor to the low air quality in the Front Range. General Aviation makes up 72% of airborne lead pollutants in Colorado as of 2017, and the number of GA flights only continues to grow year by year. 
Transportation, or mobile, emissions from trucks, trains, aeroplanes and all other motor vehicles comprise the largest single contributor to Denver’s air pollution. 
​     - IQ Air

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Environmental Impacts on Soil and Groundwater at Airports

In addition to noise, air pollution and lead from AVgas, airports present yet another health threat to surrounding communities with soil and groundwater contamination. Studies have shown the main impacts from airports occur from:
  • Fuel storage
  • Stormwater runoff and drainage systems
  • Fuel hydrant systems
  • Fuel transport and refueling
  • Atmospheric deposition
  • Rescue and fire fighting training areas
  • Winter operations
  • Electrical substations
  • Storage of chemical products by airport owners or tenants
  • Maintenance of green areas​​
The contaminants with the highest risk are the perfluorochemicals, benzene and trichloroethylene, chemicals associated with superfund sites.  
​

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and special purpose environmental laws and regulations, require environmental impact analyses of proposed airport actions that are subject to FAA decision. The environmental review process must be completed before a project commences. The FAA provides a Desk Reference guide to assist airport managers in compliance with these standards. ​
"One reason that contributes to such “biased” evaluation is the lack of systematic information about impacts to soil and groundwater from airport activities"

Further Reading

Colorado Air Quality
Denver’s Air Quality Is the 11th Worst in the U.S.
    Colorado ozone air pollution spikes 48% above federal limit, state meteorologist says “definitely extreme” -  Gasoline may be re-mixed and more costly after pending EPA downgrade; Colorado state leaders withdraw one idea to cut vehicle emissions
AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS FOR Denver
What’s polluting Colorado’s air? 125 million tons a year of heat-trapping and hazardous gases  
Pollutionwatch: ultrafine particles from aircraft engines endanger lives
What Are Colorado’s Biggest Sources of Air Pollution?
City of Denver: Air Quality
Guest Commentary: Polis is deliberately allowing Colo. to face noncompliance with the Clean Air Act and it’ll be a blow to the economy 
Flight Shame in Great Barrington | When it comes to aviation, small is not beautiful.
Brought to you by concerned citizens from all across the Front Range and beyond.
  • Background
    • FAQs
    • News + Updates
  • Affected Areas
    • Arapahoe County >
      • City of Aurora
      • City of Centennial
      • City of Cherry Hills Village
      • City of Englewood
      • City of Glendale
      • City of Greenwood Village
      • City of Littleton
      • City of Sheridan
    • City and County of Broomfield
    • Boulder County >
      • City of Boulder
      • City of Erie
      • City of Gunbarrel
      • City of Lafayette
      • City of Longmont
      • City of Louisville
      • Town of Superior
      • Unincorporated Boulder County
    • Jefferson County >
      • City of Arvada
      • City of Edgewater
      • City of Golden
      • City of Lakewood
      • City of Westminster
      • City of Wheat Ridge
  • Front Range Airports
    • Boulder Municipal Airport | BDU
    • Centennial Airport | APA
    • Colorado Springs Municipal Airport | COS
    • Denver International Airport | DIA
    • Erie Municipal Airport | EIK
    • Front Range Airport | CFO
    • Greely-Weld County Airport | GXY
    • Meadow Lake Airport | FLY
    • Northern Colorado Regional Airport | FNL
    • Parkland Estates Airpark
    • Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport | BJC
    • Van Aire Skyport |
    • Vance Brand Municipal Airport | LMO
  • Issues
    • Plane Crashes
    • Lead Exposure
    • Health Impacts
    • Noise Pollution
    • Economic Impact
    • Environmental Impact
    • Security Issues
    • Proposed Solutions
  • Press
    • Plane Crashes
    • Media Coverage
    • aviation perspectives
  • Contact
    • Get Involved