ALA Weighs In On EPA Review of Ozone Air Quality Standards
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone cannot be considered protective of public health because there is no margin of safety, according to comments filed by the American Lung Association on the EPA review of the ozone standards.
Deborah Shprentz, consultant to the American Lung Association, presented comments to EPA and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) at a December 6-8, 2005 meeting to review the second draft Criteria Document and the first draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment on the review of the ozone air quality standards.
The comments address the interpretation of health studies regarding chronic effects, mortality, and suceptible populations in the Criteria Document and suggest ways to strengthen the Risk Assessment by broadening the scope of health endpoints and selecting a more representative year for baseline air quality.
The ozone air quality standards are subject to periodic review to ensure that they reflect the latest scientific evidence regarding health effects. In 2005, California adopted an 8-hour standard for ozone of 0.070 ppm not to be exceeded, as compared to the current federal standard of 0.080 ppm, which is rounded to 0.085 ppm.
EPA is under a court agreement to issue a final Criteria Document by February 28, 2005. A second draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment will be issued by April 30, 2006, and will be reviewed at a CASAC meeting in July 2006.
Revised standards must be proposed by March 28, 2007, and finalized by December 19, 2007.
A copy of the comments are attached.
Attachments
- ALA Comments on Second Draft Ozone Criteria Document
- 113005-ala-comments-on-sec.doc
ALA Comments on Second Draft Ozone Criteria Document 12=05
- ALA Comments on Ozone First Draft Staff Paper
- 12505-ozone-staff-paper-co.doc
12-05 Comments on draft Staff Paper and Risk Assessment
