Dive Brief:
- The Obama Administration last week proposed tighter controls on ground-level ozone, lowering current ozone pollution limits to the range of 65 to 70 parts per billion (ppb), down from 75 ppb, sparking outrage from the Governor of Louisiana, whose state could see as many as 18 of its parishes ruled non-compliant.
- Nine counties in California would continue to violate 70 ppb and an additional 59 counties outside of California violate 65 ppb for a total of 68 non-attainment counties. Some counties would not be required to meet revised standards until sometime well beyond 2025, however.
- Critics, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, say the new rules will drive higher energy prices and will cost the economy jobs. Supporters of the new rules say the public health protections are necessary, and that the regulations will prevent thousands of premature deaths each year.
Dive Insight:
The changes, said the U.S. Environmental Agency, are aimed at improving public health protection, particularly for children, the elderly, and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma.
EPA said its projections show the vast majority of U.S. counties with monitors would meet the proposed standards by 2025 without taking additional action to reduce emissions.
“Today’s proposal by the Obama Administration to strengthen the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone would provide greater protection to residents all across the Northeast from the nation’s most pervasive air pollutant, a step that is long overdue," said the American Lung Association in a statement.
The association said it would have preferred the new standards went further, and are "concerned that EPA did not include 60 ppb in the range, though it was the clear recommendation of independent scientists as well as health and medical societies."
In Jindal's state, the new standard would mean areas like Shreveport, Lake Charles, New Orleans and Baton Rouge would not be in compliance. The governor called the proposed regulations "reckless and based on a radical leftist ideology that will kill American jobs and increase energy prices."
“Under the President’s proposed new plan, Louisiana's metro areas would be put into what the EPA calls a 'non-attainment zone,' which would effectively hand control over these areas to the federal government," Jindal said. "It would force companies to limit production that is vital to our economy and buy unnecessary expensive technology. At the same time, the American people will be subjected to higher energy prices and more regulations."