The recently released proposal by the Obama Administration to strengthen the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone would provide greater protection to residents of the Southeast. Thousands of peer-reviewed medical studies show that breathing ozone pollution is dangerous to human health. The EPA review shows harm is occurring at levels far below what is currently considered “safe.”
That means that until now, too many parents have been assured that the air in their community is safe for their children to breathe. However the science shows that information was wrong. Every parent in America has a right to know the truth about the air their children breathe.
M&O is concerned that EPA did not include 60 ppb in the range, though it was the clear recommendation of independent scientists as well as health and medical societies, including the American Lung Association. The scientific record clearly shows that a standard of 60 ppb would provide the most public health protection. We will continue to push the Agency to adopt standards based on the scientific evidence.
For far too long, millions of Americans have been living with a weak and outdated standard. In a new nationwide, bipartisan survey conducted by the American Lung Association, an overwhelming 68 percent of voters across party and demographic lines support stricter ozone standards that will protect public health. President Obama and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy must adopt a more protective standard to protect the American people from real dangers of ozone pollution by October 1, 2015.
Health Impacts of Ozone Pollution + Scientific Evidence
The most widespread pollutant in the U.S. is also one of the most dangerous. Scientists have studied the effects of ozone on health for decades. Research studies confirm that ozone harms people at levels currently considered “safe” in the United States.
To learn more about the health risks from ozone pollution, click here. For more information about EPA’s new proposed standard, click here.
