EPA's New Ozone Standards: A Few Thoughts (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Sept. 29, 2015 |
| Report Number |
IN10365 |
| Report Type |
Insight |
| Authors |
McCarthy, James E. |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is under a court order to finalize its review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone by October 1, 2015. After several years of analysis, compiling information from more than 1,000 studies on health effects, exposure, and environmental impacts, EPA proposed more stringent standards last November. This began a public comment period, leading toward the final decision. The proposal brought forth a familiar set of arguments. On one side, public health advocates stated that the proposal, which would lower both the primary and secondary standard from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to somewhere in the range of 65 to 70 ppb, wasn't strong enough. On the other side, potentially affected industries argued that meeting standards in the range EPA proposed would devastate the economy.
