MAJOR INDUSTRIES ALIGN TO EMPHASIZE 'UNCERTAINTY' OF OZONE SCIENCE

摘要

Major industry groups are aligning in broad coalitions to stress the "uncertainty" of the body of science on the health effects of ozone in comments on EPA's proposal to tighten the ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). The groups have formed such coalitions as the NAAQS Business Coalition, representing a large portion of the U.S. economy; the 8-Hour Ozone State Implementation Plan (SIP) Coalition, representing oil, chemical and electricity producers; and the Midwest Ozone Group, representing nearly 90,000 megawatts of fossil-fuel powered electricity generators. All are stressing the uncertainty of the science and the costs of EPA's proposal, which seeks to tighten the ozone NAAQS to between 0.070 and 0.075 parts per million (ppm) from the current level of 0.084 ppm. The proposal also seeks comment on maintaining the current standard, as well as tightening it to 0.060 ppm.