Industry Criticizes EPA Plan For Determining Health Risk In Ozone Review

摘要

An industry-sponsored consultant is criticizing EPA's plan for considering human health risk and exposure studies in its ongoing review of the agency's ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), questioning EPA's assessment of the pollutant's effect on the lungs and saying the agency is ignoring key data uncertainties and limitations. The criticism comes as the agency's science advisers are separately seeking clarity from EPA on how it intends to consider policy-relevant background (PRB) ozone levels in the five-year review of the ozone standard, which is required under the Clean Air Act. Nothing states do in terms of imposing new pollution controls will achieve any reduction in naturally occurring PRB levels, which could make it impossible to attain a stricter NAAQS, sources say.