government

White House abandons new ozone standards

Some physicians and public health groups say the administration is ignoring science showing damage from ozone pollution. Obama cites costs and the regulatory burden.

By Charles Fiegl — Posted Sept. 19, 2011

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The White House has shelved new ozone air quality standards indefinitely after considering the impact of the proposed rule on a recovering economy.

Physician specialty groups and other health associations expressed deep disappointment after the Sept. 2 decision. The American Lung Assn. said the Obama administration, which already had delayed implementing tougher ozone standards for two years, is putting lives at risk unnecessarily.

In a statement, President Obama defended the decision. He said his administration has a good record on the environment, having required reduced mercury levels and other toxic air pollution from older power plants, and announced plans to double fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks.

"My commitment and the commitment of my administration to protecting public health and the environment is unwavering," Obama said.

However, the president said he had to consider the financial impact of implementing new ozone standards on factories and businesses. Industry groups had estimated that attainment costs would reach $1 trillion by 2020. Obama also did not want the Environmental Protection Agency to introduce new standards when the agency would be required to update air quality regulations again in 2013.

"Ultimately, I did not support asking state and local governments to begin implementing a new standard that will soon be reconsidered," Obama said.

The agency had proposed updating the ozone limit with a more stringent requirement of 60 parts per billion averaged over eight hours. The current standard is 75 parts per billion.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Thoracic Society and the American College of Preventive Medicine were among 14 organizations that urged the president to finalize a new ozone standard in August.

Ozone causes injuries to the lungs when inhaled, and people with preexisting lung diseases have difficulty breathing on days when ozone levels are high, the groups said.

Tougher ozone standards would improve public health, especially among children, and outweigh the economic costs to the rest of society, physicians said.

"We felt there was adequate scientific evidence to support the change, and by not changing the standards the administration is ignoring the science that is out there," said Jerome Paulson, MD, medical director for the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment in Washington.

The American Lung Assn. sued the federal government over ozone regulations in 2008.

The lawsuit had been set aside while the Obama administration considered toughening up the regulations.

The association will consider how to proceed with the case now that the administration has abandoned its efforts, said Paul Billings, vice president of national policy and advocacy.

"We intend to fully exercise our legal rights," he said.

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