Air quality in and around the City of Aspen is threatened by various pollutants which affect the health, safety, and welfare of citizens and visitors and the scenic natural resources of the community.
Although most people don’t think of Aspen as having a troubled air quality history, Aspen’s mining heritage did include air pollution (also deforestation, contaminated soil, runoff, and water pollution). More recently, with the popularity of skiing, came more traffic and fireplaces which cause particulate matter pollution (PM-10). Normally, ozone is associated with urban areas; however, the highest ozone level ever measured on Colorado’s Western Slope was recorded on Aspen Mountain in the winter of 2007-2008.