Bay Journal

New Air Standards

Ozone

• The recommended standard will be updated from 0.12 parts per million of ozone measured over one hour to 0.08 parts per million measured over 8 hours.

• The new standard will extend new health protections to 35 million people, bringing to 113 million the number of Americans protected by the air quality standard for ozone.

• For children, the new standard will reduce respiratory problems, such as asthma attacks. It will result in 1 million fewer incidences of decreased lung function in children each year.

• States and counties will have at least until the year 2004 to meet the new standard.

Particulates

• The standard for coarse particles remains essentially unchanged, while a new standard for fine particles-less than 2.5 microns, or about 1/28th the thickness of a human hair-will be set at an annual limit of 15 micrograms per cubic meter, with a 24-h our limit of 65 micrograms per cubic meter.

• This is the first time the government has set a public health standard for fine particle pollution.

• Scientists say that fine particles are some of the most damaging to human health because they penetrate and remain in the deepest passages of the lungs.

• The new standard will provide new protections to nearly 70 million Americans, and will prevent approximately 15,000 premature deaths a year.

• The EPA will allow five years to build a nationwide monitoring network to gather and analyze the data needed to designate nonattainment areas and gather information needed to write plans to control particulates.

• The EPA will allow another three years for areas that are not in compliance with the standard to develop plans, and several more years to actually comply with the standard.

- Source: EPA

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About Karl Blankenship

Karl Blankenship is editor of the Bay Journal and Executive Director of Chesapeake Media Service. He has served as editor of the Bay Journal since its inception in 1991. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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