The smog showdown

The EPA is poised to announce new smog standards; unfortunately, the agency looks likely to push through relatively weak rules, bowing to industry lobbyists who say strict standards would be expensive to adhere to. I've posted full details over at Political Climate:

Insiders now say that EPA officials plan to propose a half-hearted compromise, setting ozone standards in the region of 0.075 ppm – significantly higher than the threshold called for by the agency’s own experts. It’s even been suggested that the agency might cave in completely, agreeing to set new standards identical to the current limit – a move that would, of course, achieve absolutely nothing.

This isn’t merely a question of arguing over numbers, it’s a matter of life and death. The EPA says that setting a 0.075 ppm threshold would save between 230 and 2,400 lives a year – but admits that imposing a slightly tougher standard of 0.070 ppm would save up to 4,000 lives a year, producing additional health benefits worth $11 billion a year. Even tougher cuts would, of course, produce even greater benefits.

Read the rest here.