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®: CRE Regulatory Action of the Week
EPA Announces New Ozone Standard and a Framework for Clean Air Act Changes
On March 12, 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a new 8-hour standard for ozone. The new standard is issued as a National Ambient Air Quality Standard under the Clean Air Act. This is the first time that EPA has revised the ozone standard in more than a decade.
EPA’s press release announcing the ozone standard also announced four principles that EPA is sending to Congress to guide possible legislative changes to the Clean Air Act. According to EPA’s press release,
"The four principles outlined by the [EPA] Administrator recommend that the Clean Air Act and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
- must protect the public health and improve the overall well-being of our citizens;
- should allow decision-makers to consider benefits, costs, risk tradeoffs, and feasibility in making decisions about how to clean the air;
- should provide greater accountability and effective enforcement to ensure not only paper requirements but also air quality requirements are met, especially in areas with the furthest to go in meeting our standards;
- should allow the schedule for addressing NAAQS standards to be driven by the available science and the prioritization of health and environmental concerns, taking into account the multi-pollutant nature of air pollution."
Click here to read EPA’s press announcement about new ozone standards and legislative changes
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