Breathing a (clean) Sigh of Relief

Posted by chelseadavison , Jan, 2010 @ 2:40 pm

Smog Over LA

Earlier today the Associated Press reported that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “proposed stricter health standards for smog, replacing a Bush-era limit that ran counter to scientific recommendations. The new limits — which are presented as a range — will likely put hundreds more counties nationwide in violation, a designation that will require them to find additional ways to clamp down on pollution or face government sanctions, most likely the loss of federal highway dollars. The tighter standards will cost tens of billions of dollars to implement, but will ultimately save billions in avoided emergency room visits, premature deaths, and missed work and school days, the EPA said. The proposed range was what scientists had recommended during theBush administration. However, former President George W. Bushpersonally intervened and set the standard above what was advised after protests from electric utilities and other industries. The Bush standard was still stricter than the previous smog standard set in 1997.”

Unsurprisingly, environmentalists are enthusiastically embracing the change while representatives of the oil and gas industry have lashed out at the EPA saying that the change has no proven scientific backing.

“The stricter limit comes with additional costs, from $19 billion up to $90 billion a year by 2020, according to EPA. The Bush administration had put the cost to industry and drivers to meet its standard at between $7.6 billion to $8.5 billion a year. Counties and states will have up to 20 years to meet the new limits, depending on how severely they are out of compliance. They will have to submit plans for meeting the new limits by end of 2013 or early 2014.”

Finally the country may start breathing a little better, even if it costs us financially in the short term.

To read the full AP story, click here.

Tags: clean air, environmental protection agency, EPA, smog