EPA to tighten ozone standards

        The EPA announced a strengthening of the National Ambient Air Quality ozone standards.  The standard for ground-level ozone is currently 75 parts per billion, and will be strengthened to 70ppb.  The EPA is also extending the ozone monitoring season for 32 states and the District of Columbia.  Ground level ozone forms when nitrogen oxides react with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air.

        The reason the EPA cares is high concentrations of ground-level ozone make it harder for at-risk groups of people to breathe, specifically, children, older adults and anyone with lung diseases such as asthma or COPD.

        The last time the EPA reviewed the ozone standards was 2008, and since then 1,000 new studies have been published that look at the effects of ground-level ozone on the respiratory system.  These studies found long-term exposure to ozone can lead to asthma development, and for the 23 million Americans and 6 million children in America who live with asthma, ozone can aggravate asthma… leading to increased medication use as well as increased emergency room and hospital visits.

         But there is good news.  The EPA reports local communities, states and the federal government have made significant progress is reducing this harmful pollutant.  Average ozone levels fell 33% between 1980-2014, even as the economy continued to grow.  The EPA credits advances in pollution control technology and other emission reduction standards for the drop.
       
        The US Clean Air Act gives states time to meet these new standards.  Depending on the severity of ozone problems, states have until between 2020 and 2037 to reach compliance.