The EPA's New Clean Air Standards: A Primer - Part 2

Carol Browner's new ozone standard sets a near zero-risk probability. She asserts the harsh standards are needed to protect the public from respiratory problems caused by exposure to ground-level ozone. But studies indicate that public health is not jeopardized by ozone unless it is in concentration levels more than four times the current standard. The Clean Air Science Advisory Committee, an EPA-appointed science advisory board required by law to review EPA policy recommendations based on scientific review, concluded that "there is no 'bright line' which distinguishes any of the proposed standards (either the level or the number of allowable exceedances) as being significantly more protective of public health."