Environmental Protection Agency recommended tough ozone pollution standards to make air cleaner, people healthier. But the existing standard will be acting through March 2008 when a final decision is scheduled to be made.
Main ground-level ozone damaging pollution is smog that is mainly caused by vehicles, power plants, gasoline vapors, industrial emissions, chemical solvents. These emissions damages vegetation, trees and causes breathing difficulties, asthma and other medical conditions, especially targeting children and teen.
Environmental Protection Agency plans to reduce smog standards by 11 percent to 17 percent. The new standard will cut 30 percent of medical conditions' possibility.
"Based upon the current science I have concluded that the current standard is insufficient to protect public health," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.
To measure smog Environmental Protection Agency calculates the concentration of ozone molecules in the atmosphere over eight-hours. Current standard is .084 parts per million. It is going to be reduced to between .070 and .075 parts per million.
Environmental and health organizations applauded EPA's decision. American Lung Association, Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee are among these organizations.
But industry manufacturers such as National Association of Manufacturers are not that happy with the possible new standards.
"We recognize that the EPA has a duty to protect public health, and studies have shown implementing the current standard will do just that," said NAM President John Engler. "There is still a long way to go to meeting the current standard. Therefore we see no reason to revise the current standard."
"Based upon the science, I do not believe there is scientific justification for retaining the current standard. Hence I am proposing to toughen the standard," Stephen L. Johnson said. "But I am taking comment on the full range of what I have heard people ask for."
Environmental Protection Agency is planning to make its final decision on March 12, 2008. Ozone pollution standards will be tougher or it will stay intact. For HULIQ.com
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