EPA examines tougher standards for cutting smog (AP/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

WASHINGTON (AP) --
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The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to announce whether it will tighten the federal health standard for ozone, commonly known as smog, and leave several hundred additional counties falling short of what the federal government considers healthy air.

The EPA last year said it was considering lowering the standard from 80 parts per billion of ozone per unit of air to between 70 and 75 parts per billion. In recent weeks a broad range of industry groups have lobbied the EPA and the White House to keep the current standard despite warnings from most health experts that it does not adequately protect public health.

The EPA, which is under court order to come up with a smog ruling by Thursday, will announce its plans at a 1 p.m. news conference.

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has told members of Congress he is convinced the current standard, enacted more than a decade ago, must be tightened. But he is not expected to lower it as much as many health experts argue is needed.

An independent EPA advisory group of scientists has urged the agency to adopt an ozone standard of 60 to 70 parts per billion, saying that's what is needed to provide an adequate margin of protection to millions of people susceptible to respiratory problems, including the very young and elderly. A similar conclusion was reached by a second advisory board on children's health.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/12/dirty.air.ap/index.html

Interesting ... some part of the EPA still seems to be semifunctional ... who didn't get the memo from the WH?