EPA Advisors Press For More Research On Air Toxics To Support Equity

摘要

EPA science advisors will likely urge the agency to place greater emphasis on researching the impacts of air toxics and other pollutants not subject to ambient air limits, investigating local community issues, and understanding air quality impacts of climate change, wildfire and air pollution from emerging sources such as oil and gas operations.During an April 2 virtual meeting of the air and energy panel of EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC), members discussed draft recommendations they will soon finalize for the agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD). The group is focusing on several issues relevant to the Biden administration's push for greater consideration of environmental justice (EJ), among other elements.Panel members' draft conclusions stress the need for more research into the health effects of pollutants not subject to national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). EPA's six "criteria" pollutants - ozone, paniculate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide and lead - are subject to NAAQS, but numerous other air pollutants including many air toxics are not. Many air toxics-emitting industrial facilities are located near disadvantaged minority and low-income communities that are now at the forefront of the Biden EPA's priorities.