WASHINGTON, D.C. — A hearing titled “Review of EPA’s revision to the ozone NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards)” was held July 11 in the U.S. Senate’s Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee. Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., chairman of the subcommittee, promoted his Clean Air Planning Act and heard panel testimony regarding the strengthening of the Air Quality Standards.
Carper’s Clean Air Planning Act would reduce ozone pollution through reductions from power plants. “It will cut nitrogen oxide from 5 million tons today to 1.7 million tons in 2015,” he says. “With these reductions, in 10 years, only 11 areas in the nation will exceed the EPA’s health standards for the ozone.” Sulfur dioxide emissions would be cut by 82 percent by 2015. He encouraged Stephen Johnson, EPA administrator, to work to strengthen the current standard and to base decisions on advice from the EPA staff and the Clean Air Science Advisory Committee (CASAC).
Johnson began testimony by outlining his proposal summary. Specifically, he addressed the agency’s proposal for limiting smog. Currently, the primary NAAQS for eight-hour ozone is .084 parts per million. Johnson’s proposal would set a standard in the range of .070 to .075.
“The current standard does not protect public health with an adequate margin of safety and should be revised to provide additional public health protection,” Johnson says. Still, the administrator’s proposal faced criticism from other witnesses as well as both Democrats and Republicans for its failure to comply with CASAC committee recommendations.
Vickie Patton, senior attorney for Environmental Defense, was one of several who exposed potential problems with the EPA proposal. She testified that the “CASAC unequivocally found that there is no basis in public health considerations for the EPA to retain the current standard. The EPA nevertheless persists in considering this flawed option.”
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairman, criticized Johnson for the EPA proposal that was weaker than recommendations made by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee. The committee suggested a standard between 60-70 parts per billion. Yet, the proposal made by the EPA could potentially cause the current standard to remain. Additionally, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., ranking member, cited economic problems with the proposal. Lost jobs and closing of factories could cause health risks for those who depend on their job for health benefits, he said.
The EPA is accepting public comments on standards ranging from 60 parts per billion to the current standard of 84 parts per billion. The EPA proposed such changes to the Air Quality Standard June 20, 2007. Final action will be taken regarding whether to retain or revise the ozone standard by March 12, 2008. |
