EPA Issues Final Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter and Ozone

By Lorraine Swift Abbott, RiskWorld Editor
E-mail to: abbott@tec-com.com.

July 21, 1997 -- After much public debate, the new air quality standards for ozone (smog) and particulate matter (soot) that were announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in November 1996 were signed by EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner on July 16, 1997. The agency will hold a national satellite broadcast on July 24 to explain the new standards.

As issued, the standards contain two changes announced by President Clinton on June 25, one that allows more "bad air" days before an area is found to be out of attainment with respect to ozone and another that sets the 24-hour limit for particulate matter at 65 micrograms per cubic meter instead of 50 micrograms as originally proposed by EPA.

When combined with EPA's implementation package, these public health protections can be achieved in "flexible, common sense and cost-effective ways" and will prevent approximately 15,000 premature deaths, 350,000 cases of aggravated asthma, and 1 million cases of significantly decreased lung function in children, the agency said in a statement titled "EPA's Updated Clean Air Standards."

EPA's implementation package has four features:

(1) Continuing today’s progress toward cleaner air by keeping current ozone standards and plans in place until they are achieved, respecting agreements already reached by communities and businesses, and not disrupting progress currently being made.

(2) Providing new tools for areas to address regional sources of pollution. Chief among these is a trading plan for emissions from utilities—one designed collectively by 37 states—that will address violations far downwind and will provide the most cost-effective pollution reductions by achieving the bulk of reductions from major sources, rather than small businesses.

(3) Classifying as "transitional" those areas that will achieve early reductions through these approaches in order to avoid potentially burdensome planning and pollution reduction requirements.

(4) Initiating a new round of review of the particulate matter science, to be completed before areas are designated as non-attainment and before any pollution controls would be required. The new standards will not require local controls until the year 2004 for ozone and 2005 for particulate matter, with no compliance determinations until the years 2007 and 2008, respectively, and with possible extensions.

The agency’s last review of the ozone standard was in 1978 and its last review of particulate matter was in 1987.

Related Links

EPA’s Updated Air Quality Standards for Smog (Ozone) and Particulate Matter

Statement Titled "EPA's Updated Clean Air Standards"

Home Page of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Story posted July 21, 1997.

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