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American Thoracic Society blasts EPA for delay in lowering ozone standards in air
American Thoracic Society
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would delay the final National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. The new standard that was supposed to have been announced July 29th would have reduced the acceptable standard of ozone to between 60 and 70 parts per billion. “Regardless of where the final rule fell, the improvement on today’s standard of 75 ppb would unquestionably have been a boon to public health,” says the American Thoracic Society (ATS).
The agency gave no new date for when it would issue its final ozone rule. Industry groups, including chamber of commerce, manufacturers, electric utilities and the petroleum industry have mounted high profile media campaign to oppose any new ozone regulations.
The American Thoracic Society strongly opposes the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to delay—for the fourth time in a year—implementing a more stringent air quality standard for ozone.
“There is simply no excuse for this delay,” said ATS president, Nickolas S. Hill, MD. “Delay means more asthma attacks. Delay means more air pollution. Delay means we place no value on our health.”
Despite the EPA’s claim that they are “fully committed to finalizing EPA’s reconsideration of the Clean Air Act health standard for ground level ozone,” there is no tenable excuse for this delay, the ATS said.
The EPA has been reviewing the same data since 2007. Since then, the EPA has asked the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) three times for advice on the standard, and each time CASAC has answered: between 60 and 70 ppb.
