EPA Faces Clean Air Test, Advocates Say

The Environmental Protection Agency is mulling a new air quality standard for nitrogen dioxide – a pollutant that can irritate the lungs and trigger asthma attacks.

ScantronEPA held a public meeting yesterday in Virginia to discuss its proposed standard, released July 15, and will hold another this Thursday in Los Angeles. The comment period on the proposal lasts until Sept. 14.

The current standard for nitrogen dioxide is 53 parts per billion when averaged over one year, which EPA and its scientific advisers agree is not protective enough. All areas in the U.S. meet the 53 ppb standard. EPA is proposing to keep the 53 ppb standard but also to add a new standard averaged over one hour in order to restrict big spikes in emissions. EPA is proposing a one-hour standard somewhere between 80 and 100 ppb.

But some clean air advocates say neither the annual standard nor the one-hour standard would be good enough. The American Lung Association (ALA) has asked EPA to lower the 53 ppb annual standard. The ALA points to California, which enforces an annual standard of 30 ppb, as a model. ALA is also calling for a one-hour standard of no more than 50 ppb.

At Monday’s meeting, Frank O’Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch, called the regulation a test of the Obama administration’s commitment to clean air:

We think the new EPA is on track for a passing grade with its proposal for nitrogen dioxide. But it’s a long way from an A+ when it comes to protecting kids with asthma and other breathers. We think it’s probably more like a B or C right now, depending on the range you’ve put forward.

We’d like you to get that grade up. We think kids with asthma deserve no less than A+ public health protection. 


So far, the Obama administration record on clean air (not related to climate change) has been pretty good. EPA has scored a few victories, albeit small ones. For example, EPA recently announced it would consider increasing the number of sensors that monitor concentrations of airborne lead.

The nitrogen dioxide standard will be the Obama EPA’s first regulation under the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) program. The NAAQS program, which is detailed in the Clean Air Act, regulates six major air pollutants: nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, lead, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. The impacts of regulations carried out under the NAAQS program have saved lives and will save even more in the future.

NAAQS standards improve quality of life too. The lower EPA decides to set the one-hour standard for nitrogen dioxide, the lower “the likelihood that children with asthma would end up in the emergency room because of a serious asthma attack,” according to ALA.

EPA is under a court deadline to finalize the rule by Jan. 22, 2010.

Image by Flickr user COCOEN, used under a Creative Commons license.

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