Air Quality
Overview
The I-70 Floyd Hill Project is a Regionally Significant Transportation Capacity (RS/TC) project that requires air monitoring for particulate matter during construction as part of Colorado Revised Statute 43-1-128. There are two air quality sensors adjacent to the project area which measure particulate matter concentrations during construction.
This page serves as a dashboard to provide information on I-70 Floyd Hill Project air quality monitoring, and includes historical information regarding exceedances of particulate matter concentrations within the project area. PM10 and PM2.5 monitoring will occur throughout the lifespan of the construction project. More information on the Air Quality Index (AQI) calculated for the air quality sensors on the Floyd Hill Project will be posted here in the coming weeks.
The U.S. AQI is the Environmental Protection Agency’s index for reporting air quality.
Think of the AQI as a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. For example, an AQI value of 50 or below represents good air quality, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.
For each pollutant an AQI value of 100 generally corresponds to an ambient air concentration that equals the level of the short-term national ambient air quality standard for protection of public health. AQI values at or below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above 100, air quality is unhealthy: at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher.
The AQI is divided into six categories. Each category corresponds to a different level of health concern. For more information, visit airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics.
| Levels of Concern | Values of Index | Description of Air Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Good | 0 to 50 | Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk. |
| Moderate | 51 to 100 | Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 101 to 150 | Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected. |
| Unhealthy | 151 to 200 | Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. |
| Very Unhealthy | 201 to 300 | Health alert: The risk of health effects is increased for everyone. |
| Hazardous | 301 and higher | Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected. |
Particulate Matter (PM) describes a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. These particles can be comprised of materials such as vehicle exhaust, soot, dust and pollen. PM comes in many sizes and shapes, including PM2.5 and PM10. Fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. PM10 is particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter.
Air quality sensors are located adjacent to the project in order to monitor PM10 and PM2.5 per Colorado Revised Statutes. If PM10 or PM2.5 concentrations rise above predetermined action levels in the project area, the contractor is notified, which allows the team to identify and mitigate PM levels before they reach public alert thresholds.
A public air quality alert is issued when daily average PM levels exceed an AQI of 100.
There are currently no air quality public alerts issued for the I-70 Floyd Hill Project.
Please click on the Stay Informed tab on the right side of the page and fill out your contact information to start receiving I-70 Floyd Hill public AQ alerts. You will then be notified by email whenever an alert is issued.
Locations of Air Quality Monitors
Floyd Hill Air Quality Monitor
Location: Clear Creek County Fire Station located at 35713 US-40 in Evergreen, Colorado.
Idaho Springs Air Quality Monitor
Location: Clear Creek County Building located at 1969 Miner Street in Idaho Springs, Colorado.
Air Quality Dashboard
Air Quality Dashboard Legend
General Acronyms
- μg/m3: Micrograms per meter cubed
- F: Fahrenheit
- MPH: Miles per hour
Wind Direction Acronyms
- N: North
- NNE: North Northeast
- NE: Northeast
- ENE: East Northeast
- E: East
- ESE: East Southeast
- SE: Southeast
- SSE: South Southeast
- S: South
- SSW: South Southwest
- SW: Southwest
- WSW: West Southwest
- W: West
- WNW: West Northwest
- NW: Northwest
- NNW: North Northwest
Note: This data is the hourly averaged concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 directly from air quality monitors. This data is not reviewed for quality control prior to being posted to this webpage. For assistance navigating the Power BI dashboard, please email [email protected] or [email protected].
