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The EPA is set is set to announce its new ozone standards later this afternoon, but thanks to the Washington Post, we already know what the new threshold for air quality is going to be. Based on the following information, see if you can guess what the Bush Administration has decided is best for your health.
- A year ago, the EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee said the allowable amount of smog-forming ozone should be reduced from 80 to 60 parts per billion, and at the very least should be no higher than 70 ppb.
- The American Lung Association also lobbied for the 60 ppb limit in order to prevent thousands of premature deaths and respiratory problems.
- Electric utilities, cement manufacturers and other business groups urged White House officials to keep the status quo at 80 ppb, lest they be forced to spend millions installing pollution controls.
The answer: 75 part per billion is your new standard.
We should note that by law, the EPA is not supposed to consider economic cost in establishing the health standard for air quality. But we should also note that laws like the Clean Air Act are interpreted more as "suggestions" at your EPA. The federal government is supposed to reexamine its smog standards every five years. They last did so in 1997.
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