Debate: Are More Rigorous Clean-Air Standards Really Necessary?

During the last quarter-century, America has made great progress in protecting the public's health and the air, the water and the land that we all share. As one example, the air in most major metropolitan areas is cleaner than it once was. This is due to the fact that together, as a nation, we have insisted on strong public-health protections--and because businesses, communities and government agencies have worked in commonsense and cost-effective ways to meet the health standards we have set.