The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday proposed to reduce the ozone pollution standard to within a range of 65 to 70 parts per billion (ppb) to better protect Americans’ health and the environment, while taking comment on a level as low as 60 ppb.

The Clean Air Act requires EPA to review the standards every five years by following a set of open, transparent steps and considering the advice of a panel of independent experts. EPA last updated these standards in 2008, setting them at 75 ppb.

In Pennsylvania, four counties would not meet the proposed 65-70 pp. standard: Allegheny, Beaver, Indiana and Philadelphia potentially requiring DEP to adopt additional control measures on volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide emissions to meet the standard.

Comments on the proposal are due 90 days after the proposal are published in the Federal Register.  EPA plans to hold three public hearings on the rule in January.

For more information, visit EPA’s Ozone Standards webpage.

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12/1/2014