Posted on 01/07/2010 4:24:15 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Reporting from Washington - The Environmental Protection Agency proposed the nation's strictest-ever smog limits this morning, a move that could put large parts of the country in violation of federal air quality regulations.
The EPA proposed allowing a ground-level ozone concentration of between 60 and 70 parts per billion, down from the 75-ppb standard adopted under President George W. Bush in 2008.
That means cracking down even further on the emissions from power plants, factories, landfills and motor vehicles which bake in sunlight and form smog.
Obama administration officials and environmental groups say the new standards align with the levels scientists say are needed to safeguard against increased respiratory diseases, particularly in children, and that they could save $100 billion in heath costs over time. The EPA also said compliance costs could total up to $90 billion nationwide.
A 65-ppb standard -- the middle of the proposed range -- would avert between 1,700 and 5,100 premature deaths nationwide in 2020, compared to the 75-ppb standard, the EPA estimates. The agency projects the stricter standard would also prevent an additional 26,000 cases of aggravated asthma, compared to the Bush-era standard, ...
The EPA also proposed setting a "secondary standard" to protect plants and trees from repeated smog exposure during growing season, a move environmentalists said would boost national parks, forests and sensitive ecosystems.
Announcing the proposals, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the agency was "stepping up to protect Americans from one of the most persistent and widespread pollutants we face. . . . Using the best science to strengthen these standards is a long overdue action that will help millions of Americans breathe easier and live healthier."
Environmentalists praised the agency for proposing regulations that match the unanimous recommendations of an EPA science advisory committee.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
The list, ping
One more step in bankrupting this country
The EPA hired Ian "Fudge Factor" Harris at the University of East Anglia to produce this estimate.
OK all you math wizards. How many seconds is this out of hours/years? Compare it. I aint got the math sense to figure this one out.
“..match the unanimous recommendations of an EPA science advisory committee”
and the criteria for selecting members of the “EPA science advisory committee” would be ??
I think the "fudge" part of it has to do where where they go to get those numbers.
The drive to force manufacturing offshore and power out of range of the middle class is forging ahead full steam!
Phony numbers do seem to give off a characteristic odor. The stench from these EPA numbers is overwhelming.
The current standard is a miniscule concentration. The new standard is an insignifcant change in that miniscule concentration.
And they act like its a health panacea.
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