The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued an analysis of potential benefits and costs of its proposed ground-level ozone standards revisions.
The assessment, known as a Regulatory Impact Analysis, provides general estimates of the nationwide benefits and costs of reaching the EPA-proposed ground-level ozone rate of 0.070 to 0.075 parts per million. The current ozone standard is 0.084 ppm.
To estimate benefits the EPA said it used peer-reviewed studies of air quality and health and welfare effects, sophisticated air quality models, and peer-reviewed studies of the dollar values of public health improvements.
EPA officials said they did not use their analysis in selecting the proposed ozone standards since the federal Clean Air Act bars such a procedure.
The analysis -- available at
www.epa.gov/groundlevelozone/actions.html> -- was issued under a law requiring the agency analyze benefits and costs of any major regulation.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
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