Five Colorado cities hit a benchmark for reducing carbon monoxide in the air and now Colorado will ask the Environmental Protection Agency to release it from federal oversight for monitoring those emissions.

It would be the first time in nearly 50 years that Colorado would not be under federal oversight for carbon monoxide emissions that largely were caused by heavy rush hour traffic and cars made without catalytic converters. On Thursday, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission voted to remove federal oversight and repeal monitoring requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency must approve the plan.

“Colorado experienced high levels of carbon monoxide pollution in the 1970s and 1980s, and this milestone shows how far we’ve come in protecting and improving air quality for all Coloradans,” commission chairman Patrick Cummins said.

In the 1970s, Colorado Springs, Denver, Greeley, Longmont and Fort Collins were plagued by high carbon monoxide emissions, mostly from automobile exhaust. Throughout the decade, the region exceeded federal standards for carbon monoxide more than 100 times with most of those violations happening during daily rush hours.

Those cities were placed under Environmental Protection Agency oversight to reduce carbon monoxide, an odorless, tasteless gas that can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and chest pain, and can exacerbate pre-existing conditions such as heart diseases.

Colorado was able to reduce carbon monoxide in the air as more automakers installed catalytic converters in cars and trucks and by using gasoline that burned cleaner. The state also started requiring auto emissions inspections.

In 1999, the state hit the federal standard for carbon monoxide emissions but it was required to stay in compliance for 20 years. It is now 80% lower than the federal standard and has stayed that way, allowing the federal oversight to be relaxed.

But that doesn’t mean the Denver Metro area and northern Front Range are in the clear. Nor will it stop finding ways to reduce carbon monoxide pollution, which also is created by oil and gas production.

The region is still considered in severe violation of National Ambient Air Quality standards for ground-level ozone pollution and measures continue to be in place to reduce nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds—the two ingredients that form smog on hot summer days.

Still, commissioners found the success in reducing carbon monoxide encouraging.

“Hopefully, it will inspire us to tackle the outstanding challenges that we have,” Commissioner Elise Jones said. “We can see that it is possible to achieve them.”

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A hiker who left a spiritual retreat for a solo hike on Wednesday has been found safe after four days in southwest Colorado. Gina Chase, 53, from Victoria, Canada, was located on Saturday in the targeted search area near Lone Cone, Colorado, approximately 60 miles southwest of Telluride, according to the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office.

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Successful search and rescue operation
“Obviously, this is the outcome we were all hoping for, and we couldn’t be happier for Chase and her family,” said San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters in a statement.“The ultimate success of this mission is a real testament to our responders’ tenacity, perseverance, and dedication.”
Chase was part of a group on a retreat and departed on a solo journey around 11 am Wednesday. Group leaders discouraged participants from bringing cell phones on the solo hikes.
In addition, members were advised to fast “to maximize their experience with nature” before embarking on their quests.
Safety concerns highlighted by authorities
Chase was reported missing early Thursday afternoon when a group leader realised she had not returned to camp and could not be located.
“You should always bring technology for communications,” said Masters. “Furthermore, you should not starve yourself even if a ‘guide’ service suggests the opposite of these basic safety rules. Nature does not care about your safety and will kill you, especially if [you] are not properly prepared.”
The event was organised by the Animas Valley Institute, a business based in Durango, Colorado. Founded in 1980, the group promotes “a rich assortment of guided immersions into the mysteries of nature and psyche, including Soulcraft intensives, contemporary vision fasts, and training programs for nature-based soul guides” on its website.
Institute’s statement and commitment to safety
The group released a statement on its website that read in part: “The Animas Valley Institute has run backcountry programs in Colorado since 1980 with no serious incidents. The safety of our participants remains our highest priority. We have been in direct contact with the participant’s family during this immensely difficult time and remain committed to supporting them over the coming days and weeks.”

A 53-year-old Canadian woman has been found alive and uninjured after four days alone in the backcountry near Norwood, according to the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office.