EPA Will Reconsider Ozone Standards, Opening Door To Tougher Limits

摘要

EPA has informed environmentalists and states suing the agency for tougher federal ozone standards that it will reconsider the Trump administration's December decision to retain current standards dating from 2015, opening the door to likely tougher ozone limits, with possibly sweeping implications for industry and public health. "EPA's decision to reconsider the inadequate national limits on ozone pollution is good news for the nation's health. The science clearly shows that the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards [NAAQS] for this pollutant are too weak, allowing levels of ozone that endanger people's health, particularly the health of vulnerable groups like children, older adults and communities of color," said a coalition of groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Lung Association and the American Public Health Association in an Oct. 28 statement. "For example, ozone pollution can exacerbate asthma in children and can lead to reduced lung function and even death among adults," the groups add.