Health Science or Political Science?
Conflict Over How Much Particle Pollution is Safe to Breathe
In terms of health science, it’s a no-brainer: There’s growing scientific consensus that the Environmental Protection Agency should set much tougher limits for national health standards for particle pollution. That’s the published view of EPA’s career scientists, as well as EPA’s official outside science advisors.
These standards set the goal for clean air for the entire nation. Much tighter standards are needed because thousands of people – according to EPA’s own calculation – are dying prematurely under the current standards, set in 1997.
EPA Administrator Steve Johnson is under a court agreement to make a preliminary decision by December 20, but big polluters are applying their lobbying muscle to prevent standards that would mean additional cleanup.
Will Administrator Johnson be swayed by health science – or political science?
The attached fact sheets provide background information and analysis.
Attachments
- 12-05 Scientists Letter
- final-scientists-letter-12.pdf
Letter of 100+ Scientists to EPA
- New Science Shows Effects Below Current Standards
- science-summary-final-1.doc
Fact Sheet 6/27/05
- Air Quality Standard Setting Process
- standard-setting-process-f-1.doc
Backgrounder 6/27/05
- The Choices EPA Faces Over the Particulate Matter Standard
- standards-options-1215051.pdf
Fact Sheet on options under consideration
- Backgrounder: What is Particulate Matter?
- what-is-particulate-matter-1.doc
Backgrounder 6/27/05
- Review of the Particulate Matter Standard
- 121505-chronology-final.pdf
Backgrounder on controversy over 1997 standards and extensive scientific review
- Real Change or Paper Change?
- 121505-questions-final.pdf
Questions to Ask: How Health and Environmental Groups will Evaluate EPA’s Proposals
- Legal and Scientific reviews: 1996-2006
- 121505-review-milestones.pdf
Key milestones in the review of the NAAQS
- It’s More Than Just a Number
- 5-key-parts-to-the-pm-stan.pdf
Five Key Parts to the Standard 12/05
- Deaths in 9 Cities from PM
- standards-optionsphilly-da.pdf
Updated Chart Showing Comparing Risk Reductions Under Alternative Standards
