EPA announced plans to tighten existing air standards for particulate matter and ozone. Industry organizations are concerned that the cost of such standards will not outweigh the purported health benefits. Expect an all-out fight on this regulatory proposal.
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From: GROUP PRESS 202-260-4355[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 1996 2:14 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: PR EPA PROPOSES AIR STANDARDS FOR PARTICULATE MATTER & OZONE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1996
EPA PROPOSES AIR STANDARDS FOR PARTICULATE MATTER AND OZONE
Based on evidence of harm to human health and the environment,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed new national
air quality standards for particulate matter (soot) and ground-level
ozone (smog).
Because of the significance of the proposal, EPA will seek broad
public comment on its recommended approach and on the need for any
changes to the particulate matter and ozone proposal. The purpose of
the comment period is to reach out to all stakeholders in order to
obtain the best information available for determining the appropriate
final standards.
"In the Clean Air Act, Congress required EPA to review and
incorporate the best available science into public health standards to
protect Americans from air pollution," said EPA Administrator Carol M.
Browner. "The EPA proposal would provide new protection to nearly 133
million Americans, including 40 million children. We will use the very
best science to do what is necessary to protect public health in
common-sense, cost-effective ways."
Particulate matter (PM), or soot, comes largely from combustion
from sources like power plants or large incinerators. Ozone is
primarily the haze of chemicals from car exhausts and smoke-stack
emissions that shrouds many cities on hot summer days.
EPA and a board of independent scientists have reviewed 86 PM-
related human-health studies, covering millions of people, that showed
harmful effects from breathing particles at the current standard. The
proposed standard, along with clean air programs already planned,
would reduce premature deaths by 40,000 per year, and reduce serious
respiratory problems in children by 250,000 cases per year.
Another 185 of the latest ozone-related studies on human health
also were reviewed. All of them showed harmful effects from ozone at
the current standard, including more than 1.5 million incidences a
year of significant respiratory problems, such as loss of lung
capacity and exacerbation of both childhood and adult asthma. In
addition to threatening health, ozone and PM can damage agricultural
crops, and diminish visibility in national parks, in some cases by as
much as 77 percent.
Browner said, "EPA has based its proposal on a thorough review of
the best available science. We are now hoping to hear from a wide
range of the American people, from scientists and environmentalists to
industry experts, small business owners, doctors and parents, to
receive the broadest possible public comment and input on this
important issue."
The PM standard currently calls for regulation of particles the
size of 10 microns or smaller (PM- 10) in concentrations of 50
micrograms per cubic meter annually and 150 micrograms per cubic meter
daily. The proposed PM standard calls for 2.5 microns or smaller (PM
2.5) in concentrations of 15 micrograms per cubic meter annually and
50 micrograms per cubic meter daily. EPA today also proposed
maintaining the current standards for PM-10 so that larger, coarse
particles would continue to be regulated. The current ozone standard
is .12 parts per million measured over one hour. EPA's proposed
standard calls for .08 parts per million measured over eight hours.
EPA also is seeking comment on several other options, including an
ozone concentration of .09 parts per million measured over eight
hours, as well as a range of ozone concentrations from .07 parts per
million measured over eight hours to .12 parts per million measured
over one hour, the current standard. On both proposed standards, EPA
has also specified the way in which attainment of these standards
would be measured.
EPA believes that the standards being proposed are consistent
with the work of the independent scientists on the Clean Air Science
Advisory Committee, which is part of EPA's long-standing Science
Advisory Board. EPA will be taking comment on the scientific evidence
during the comment period.
Browner today also expanded the membership and the mandate of an
implementation advisory committee, to ensure that any plans to carry
out the standards will include the advice and participation of state
and local governments, industry, small business and environmental
groups in order to identify common-sense, cost-effective options for
implementation of the standards.
Plans to meet any finalized standards would be due in 2002 for
PM, and in 2000 for ozone control strategies. Deadlines for achieving
full compliance would occur several years thereafter for both types of
pollution.
Congress specifically named six air pollutants under the Clean
Air Act to be regulated by EPA's national air quality standards. They
are ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide,
sulfur dioxide, and lead. Congress directed that such standards
should be reviewed at least every five years by EPA to keep up with
current science, and that proposals to revise them should be based
solely upon the best current scientific opinion on public health
effects, not economic impacts. Since initially setting standards in
the early 1970s, EPA has changed the standards only twice: Once, in
1979, and once in 1987. During the Bush Administration, a decision
was made not to review the current science regarding the health
effects of ozone.
There is a 60-day comment period on the proposal. Once a final
regulation is issued in June 1997, it will be among the first major
environmental rules reviewed by Congress under the new Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement and Fairness Act.
Today's action will appear soon in the Federal Register, but will
be computer-accessible earlier through EPA's electronic bulletin board
system, the Technology Transfer Network (TTN) at
http://www.epa.gov/airlinks. The TTN can be reached at 919-541-5742
(backup number for access problems is 919-541-5384). The notice will
appear on the TTN's Clean Air Act Amendments Bulletin Board under
"Recently Signed Rules." For further technical information, contact
Jeff Clark of EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards at
919-541-5557.
R-159# # #
Scientific Review Process for Proposed Air Quality Standards
EPA's proposals to revise the standards for ozone and fine particle pollution are based on a scientific review
required by Congress under the Clean Air Act, which mandates that the EPA Administrator determine every five years
whether the nation's air quality standards are adequate to protect public health. Following is the scientific
review process that led to EPA's proposals:
Broad Range of Peer-Reviewed Scientific Evidence Examined:
o To review the health standards for ozone and fine particle pollution, EPA began by conducting a wide-
ranging literature search, covering all aspects of ozone and particulate pollution. The Agency then
selected for review those studies relevant to human health effects.
o Over three years, EPA and two independent scientific review panels identified 185 studies on the human
health effects of ozone pollution and 86 studies on the links between particulate matter pollution and
human health. Studies examined included controlled human studies, epidemiological studies, and
toxicological studies.
o A broad range of studies reviewed indicated that the current standards for both ozone pollution and
particulate pollution do not adequately protect public health, as required by law. The studies show that
serious health effects would occur even if the current standards were being met, indicating the need for
stronger health protection.
EPA Relied on Independent, Peer Reviewed Scientific Research:
o Under the Clean Air Act, Congress requires EPA to rely on the advice of an independent scientific review
panel, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, made up of nationally recognized experts in a wide
range of disciplines -- physicians, toxicologists, epidemiologists, and atmospheric scientists -- from
academic research, industry and the states. Two panels were assembled, one for each type of pollution.
o A review document summarizing published, peer reviewed research on both types of pollution and their
health effects was prepared for the advisory panel. A separate panel of national scientific experts then
peer-reviewed individual chapters in the summary document before the advisory panel began its review.
o The scientific advisory panels supported EPA's basic findings, supporting the conclusion that a proposal
to revise the ozone standard should be made to reflect the health consequences of more prolonged
exposures, and endorsing the range of ozone concentrations EPA considered. The vast majority of panel
members agreed on establishing a new standard for fine particle pollution.
EPA Opens Extensive Public Comment Period on New Proposals
o EPA has launched a 60-day public comment period on the proposed new standards as well as the scientific
evidence supporting them. In addition, the review process has been a public one, with scientific advisory
panel meetings open to the public, and all review documents publicly available prior to panel meetings.
Public Health Effects of Ozone and Fine Particle Pollution
Every American adult breathes in 13,000 liters of air each day, on average, and children breathe in 50 percent more
air per pound of body weight than adults do -- making public health protection from harmful air pollutants a top
priority. As required by Congress in the Clean Air Act, EPA has reviewed and proposed new standards to reduce two
of the most widespread forms of harmful air pollution -- particulate matter and ground-level ozone (smog). Taken
together, they contribute to acute health effects ranging from premature deaths to preventable respiratory problems.
Following are facts about these types of pollution, related health effects, and results expected from the new
proposed standards, if they are finalized in their current form:
Particulate Matter: Particulate matter is a mix of coarse and fine particles that can't be seen individually by the
naked eye, but often appear as haze, dust clouds or sooty emissions. Sources of coarse particles include industrial
crushing and grinding operations, materials handling, vehicle travel on unpaved roads and windblown dust. Fine
particles result from industrial, motor vehicle and power generating fuel combustion, as well as burning wood and
brush. Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds also can form fine
particles.
Effect on Public Health: Fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs. On a smoggy day, a single breath can
take in millions of fine particles. Some 74 million Americans -- 28% of the population -- are regularly exposed to
harmful levels of particulate air pollution. In recent studies, exposure to fine particle air pollution -- either
alone or with other air pollutants -- has been linked with many health problems:
o An estimated 40,000 Americans die prematurely each year, according to peer-reviewed studies, from
respiratory illness and heart attacks linked with particle exposure, particularly elderly people;
o Children and adults experience aggravated asthma. Asthma in children increased 118% between 1980 and 1993,
and it is currently the leading cause of child hospital admissions;
o Children become ill more frequently and experience increased respiratory problems, including difficult and
painful breathing; and
o Hospital admissions, emergency room visits and premature deaths increase among adults with heart disease,
emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and other heart and lung diseases.
Increased Public Health Protections from EPA Proposal: The current standard covers reductions of coarse particles
of 10 microns in diameter. If finalized in its current form, EPA's proposal would increase public health protection
by helping to reduce fine particles of 2.5 microns in diameter, as well as coarse particle pollution. This approach
was recommended by an overwhelming majority of independent scientists who reviewed the standard for EPA, based on 86
new health studies that indicate the need for a stronger standard. If finalized as proposed, the new standard
would:
o Cut premature deaths linked with particulate air pollution by 50%, or approximately 20,000 deaths; with acid
rain controls currently underway, an additional 20,000 deaths will be avoided;
o Reduce aggravated asthma episodes by more than a quarter million cases each year;
o Reduce incidence of acute childhood respiratory problems by more than a quarter million occurrences each
year, including aggravated coughing and painful breathing;
o Reduce chronic bronchitis by an estimated 60,000 cases each year;
o Reduce hospital admissions due to respiratory problems by 9,000 each year, as well as reduce emergency room
visits and overall childhood illnesses in general; and
o Cut haze and visibility problems by as much as 77% in some areas, such as national parks.
Ground-level Ozone: Ground-level ozone -- the prime ingredient in smog in our cities -- is easily formed in the
atmosphere, usually during hot weather. Smog results from a reaction between such gases as nitrogen oxides and
volatile organic compounds that are emitted from motor vehicles and a wide range of industrial air pollutants. Ozone
also makes plants more susceptible to diseases and pests, and reduces agricultural crop yields for many economically
vital crops such as wheat, cotton, soybeans and kidney beans.
Effect on Public Health: Studies show that repeated exposure to ozone pollution for several months may cause
permanent structural damage to the lungs, a serious issue for the 122 million Americans -- 46% of the population --
who are regularly exposed to harmful levels of ozone pollution. Because ozone pollution usually forms in hot
weather, anyone who spends time outdoors in the summer is at risk, particularly children, moderate exercisers, and
outdoor workers. Even when inhaled at very low levels, ground-level ozone prompts a variety of health problems:
o Children and adults experience aggravated asthma;
o Healthy adults' lung capacity is temporarily reduced by 15 to 20 percent;
o Hospital admissions and emergency room visits increase. In the northeastern U.S., 10 to 20 percent of all
summertime hospital visits for respiratory problems are linked with ozone pollution;
o Lung tissues are inflamed, and acute respiratory problems develop; and
o Immune defenses are reduced, leaving people more susceptible to respiratory illness, including pneumonia and
bronchitis.
Increased Public Health Protections from EPA Proposal: Because it has not been revised since 1979, and because
current science indicates that many Americans still appear to be at risk from ozone pollution, EPA is proposing to
revise the standard to provide increased health protection. If finalized in its current form, the new proposal
would reduce ground-level ozone concentrations from .12 parts per million measured over one hour to .08 parts per
million measured over eight hours, and change to a more accurate measurement that will better reflect the actual
health effects of ozone. This approach was reviewed by a panel of independent scientists and based on 185 new health
studies. If finalized in its current form, the new proposal is expected to:
o Result in over 1.5 million fewer cases of significant breathing problems (those where lung function is
reduced up to 20%);
o Significantly reduce the need for hospital admissions, missed school and work days, restricted activity, and
emergency room visits for respiratory problems;
o Cut illness in children overall, and reduce conditions ranging from inflamed lungs to irreversible lung
damage in children;
o Reduce episodes when asthmatic children require medication or medical treatment; and
o Reduce by nearly $1 billion agricultural crop losses caused by ozone.
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