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Inadequate Air Standards: EPA Needs to Listen to Experts for Health's Sake

Posted on: Wednesday, 28 December 2005, 06:00 CST

The following editorial appeared in the Dallas Morning News on Tuesday, Dec. 27:

At the very least, the EPA's timing could have been better.

On the very day that the environmental agency proposed new standards for ridding the air of dangerous particles _ standards its staff and its own scientific advisory panel say are inadequate _ a major medical journal handed the critics fresh ammunition.

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that mice exposed to levels of particulates allowable under the proposed standards were more prone to clogged arteries than mice that breathed clean air.

Last week's announcement by the EPA marked the beginning of a 90-day comment period, during which anyone can express an opinion on the issue. EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said he set the proposed standards where he did because available science did not support more stringent standards.

However, the agency only considered studies performed up to 2002, when, by law, it was supposed to reconsider the standards it enacted in 1997. (Environmental groups filed lawsuits to force the current review.) Johnson said the agency will review more recent evidence during the comment period before making a final decision.

At issue are tiny particles _ many times smaller than the diameter of a human hair _ produced by electric power plants, refineries, factories and diesel engines.

Research has shown that fine particles, which can work their way deep into lung tissue, damage respiratory and cardiovascular systems, contributing to heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks and other respiratory problems. Studies have linked days with high particulate levels to increased hospital admissions and deaths among people with heart and lung disease.

Industry trade groups say any change to the current standards is premature because particulate concentrations have fallen in recent years. They also argue that the 1997 standards are only now being implemented _ but that's because affected industries filed court challenges that delayed implementation.

Given the history of the issue and the mounting evidence of health risks, the EPA will face a serious credibility problem if it rejects the recommendations of its staff and scientific advisers.

HOW TO COMMENT

All comments should be identified by Docket ID No. OAR-2001-0017. You can submit them via:

_Federal e-rulemaking portal; www.regulations.gov;

_E-mail (a-and-r-docket@epa.gov);

_Fax: 202-566-1741;

_Mail: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 6102T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20460.

Contact the EPA with your comments.

___

(c) 2005, The Dallas Morning News.

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Source: The Dallas Morning News

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