Would tougher standards really be difficult to attain?
The EPA announced that they want to increase the air quality standards. Many oppose it citing the cost would out weigh the health benefits. The Daily Green [http://www.thedailygreen.com/2007/06/22/epa-smog-plan-criticized/2843/] reports that the EPA reports that 104 counties have smog levels that don’t meet current limits. Also with the proposed standards 533 counties would not be with in standards.
After spending considerable time on the EPA website [http://www.epa.gov] reading through everything from press releases, to the proposal, and all information I can find on what counties are not with in current standards; I could not find those same figures.
The current standards are for 0.08 ppm for ground level ozone. Using The Daily Green’s figures, there is only 3.31% of all the counties in the US are not up to standard. By the way, there is roughly 3141 counties in the US and territories. To me that is not too shabby.
Before I get in to the proposed standards, I am going to briefly touch on how the EPA figures out if a county is or is not up to standards.
The EPA has thousands of sites across the US testing the air every 8 hours. Then it takes a 3 year average of all the readings. Then they will inform that states’ governor about it findings. Then that governor would work with the EPA in finding ways to help reduce the ozone levels.
So, to me it is not such a big deal that 3.31% of all counties are not up to current standards. There plans (either in the planning or implementing stages) in the works.
The proposed standards are for a level between 0.070-0.075 ppm for ground level ozone. They also propose that the levels are to be measured to the third decimal place, because of the accuracy of today’s monitoring equipment.
The time line for implementing the proposed standards is actually a few years out. They will issue the final standards by March 12, 2008. Here is the implementation schedule based on that date.
By June 2009: States make recommendations for areas to be designated attainment and nonattainment (basically if the county is up to current standards they are attainment).
By June 2010: EPA makes final designations of attainment and nonattainment areas. Those designations would become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
2013: State Implementation Plans, outlining how states will reduce pollution to meet the standards, are due to the EPA (three years after designations).
2013 to 2030: States are required to meet the standards, with deadlines depending on the severity of the problem.
Now if my math is correct, that is 7.5 years to get the proposed clean air standards. With ethanol being put in to cars and hybrid cars, energy star products, advancements in cleaner burning fuels, and other advances on green technology, it should be little problem getting to those standards.
The Daily Green says 533 counties would not meet the EPA standards. This is, if you use those numbers for now against a future standard. That still only works out to be 16.97% of all the counties.
I do not know where to find this fact at, but I wonder what percentage of all counties was within standards back in 1997 when the last change in standards occurred. I have a hunch I would be higher than 16.97%.