Proposed ozone standard could impact up to 55 counties

The United States Environmental Protection Agency on Jan. 7 proposed the strictest health standards to date for smog and also created two standards – a “primary” standard designed at protecting public health and a “secondary” standard to protect the environment.

The EPA will take public comment for 60 days after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register. The agency will also hold three public hearings on the proposal: Feb. 2 in Arlington, Va., and in Houston; and Feb. 4 in Sacramento.

The agency is proposing to set the “primary” standard at a level between 0.060 and 0.070 parts per million (ppm) measured over eight hours. Children are at the greatest risk from ozone, because their lungs are still developing, they are most likely to be active outdoors, and they are more likely than adults to have asthma. Adults with asthma or other lung diseases, and older adults are also sensitive to ozone.

If the lower end of the range is used, as many as 55 North Carolina counties could be designated as non-attainment, according to a Nov. 5 presentation made to the NCACC Environment Steering Committee by Bebhinh Do of the Division of Air Quality within the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Do also reported that the EPA would have to begin the attainment designation process again if any new standards are adopted, and that the EPA would expedite the process. The EPA is expected to adopt the new standards in August 2010, and states would have until August 2011 to make the final designations for attainment or non-attainment status.

EPA is also proposing to set a separate “secondary” standard to protect the environment, especially plants and trees. This seasonal standard is designed to protect plants and trees from damage occurring from repeated ozone exposure, which can reduce tree growth, damage leaves, and increase susceptibility to disease.

In September 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced that EPA would reconsider the existing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which were set at 0.075 ppm in March 2008. As part of its reconsideration, EPA conducted a review of the science that guided the 2008 decision, including more than 1,700 scientific studies and public comments from the 2008 rulemaking process. EPA also reviewed the findings of the independent Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, which recommended standards in the ranges proposed by Jackson.

Depending on the level of the final standard, the EPA estimated that the proposal would yield health benefits between $13 billion and $100 billion per year by reducing premature deaths, aggravated asthma, bronchitis cases, hospital and emergency room visits and days when people miss work or school because of ozone-related symptoms. The EPA estimated that it will cost anywhere from $19 billion to $90 billion to make the upgrades necessary to meet the new standards.

Ground-level ozone forms when emissions from industrial facilities, power plants, landfills and motor vehicles react in the sun.

“EPA is stepping up to protect Americans from one of the most persistent and widespread pollutants we face,” said Jackson. “Smog in the air we breathe poses a very serious health threat, especially to children and individuals suffering from asthma and lung disease. It dirties our air, clouds our cities, and drives up our health care costs across the country. Using the best science to strengthen these standards is a long overdue action that will help millions of Americans breathe easier and live healthier.”

In 2008, the Bush administration lowered the standard from 0.84 ppm to 0.75 ppm, but the EPA’s own panel of scientific advisors had recommended lowering the limit further.