EPA May Change Ground-Level Smog Standards

Gov. Scott Walker has been touting the fact that several Wisconsin counties have come into compliance with federal ozone standards, but clean air advocates say tighter ozone standards are needed to protect public health.

A couple years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency designated many parts of southeastern Wisconsin as “attainment” areas — in other words, they complied with the federal 8-hour standards for ozone, also known as ground-level smog. Sheboygan and eastern Kenosha counties remain in nonattainment status, meaning potential new air pollution sources there generally face a tougher permitting process.

The EPA, however, is considering whether to tighten the ozone standard from the current 75 parts per billion to somewhere between 60 and 70 parts per billion, a decision the agency could make by December. Vickie Patton of the Environmental Defense Fund said the EPA should make a significant change, since high levels of smog can lead to premature deaths and childhood asthma.

“The body of research that’s emerged since 2008 has only become stronger in terms of the connection between ground-level ozone and asthma attacks — but more than that, long-term lung disease,” said Patton.

William Becker, who heads a group of state air pollution agencies that includes Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources, uses a football analogy to describe what would happen for Wisconsin counties that recently came into ozone attainment: “In essence, it’s moving the goal post back a few more yards. But the progress that the running back from the Packers has made to advance the ball and to get closer to the initial goal is still very important progress to reaching (the) final destination.”

Becker expects the Wisconsin counties would be given more time to get the ball back over the goal line — or in bureaucratic terms, develop a new state implementation plan.

Last week in Milwaukee, EPA administrator Gina McCarthy refused to say if the ozone standard would be tightened soon.