Lung Association Criticizes New EPA Ozone Standards

ALBANY, NY (03/13/2008)(readMedia)-- The American Lung Association of New York State is disappointed that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chose to lower the ozone standard from 0.08 parts per million (ppm) to only 0.075 ppm. Although the new standard is preferable to the current levels -- more can and should have been done to protect vulnerable New Yorkers.

Ozone, more commonly known as smog, can kill. Ozone threatens the health of infants, children, seniors, and people who have asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and other lung diseases. For these people, breathing smog-polluted air can make them cough and wheeze, restrict their airways, worsen their diseases, force them to the hospital and even shorten their lives.

Under the 0.08 standard, large regions of New York State were in non-attainment for ozone. Additionally, the American Lung Association’s 2007 State of the Air Report found that, of the counties which have ozone monitors, almost 40 percent received a grade of an ‘F’. From Niagara Falls, to the tip of Long Island, far too many New Yorkers are being exposed to unhealthy levels of ozone pollution.

The EPA’s own expert science advisors recommended a much tighter standard in the range of 60 to 70 parts per billion, well below the 75 parts per billion EPA announced yesterday. That may not sound like a big difference, but it literally means thousands of lives put at risk. EPA’s own estimates show that the levels the scientific advisors recommended would have protected from an early death roughly 3 times as many people as at the level EPA selected. The EPA decision will classify 6 additional counties as being in non-attainment for ozone -- far too many New Yorkers will still be exposed to unhealthy levels of ozone pollution.

The new standards announced by EPA are a lost opportunity for drastically improved air quality, and a loss for all New Yorkers who struggle to breathe every day.

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Editors Note --- Contact the American Lung Association of New York State for maps and local air quality (by county) data.