It’s Getting Hot In Here

Note: this post is contributed in honor of the Sierra Club’s national day of action for a strong EPA ozone ruling.  However the words are mine alone, as are any mistakes.

Coal and oil make for cheap energy - but only because polluters aren’t currently required to pay the true cost of polluting.  Inadequate emissions-control laws that let polluters off the hook have up to now been a major reason coal and oil can burn so cheaply.  And nowhere are the true costs brought home more clearly than in the Bush-era EPA’s loose standards for that soup of toxic compounds which form ground-level ozone, or “smog.”  The Obama administration and environmental activists across the country now have a key opportunity to strengthen regulation of ground-level ozone, and protect the health of our communities.

At the behest of EPA scientists, the National Lung Association, and various other health advocates, Lisa Jackson’s EPA is proposing stricter standards to regulate ozone from coal plants, vehicle tailpipe emissions, and other major sources.  The final ruling on ozone is scheduled to be adopted by August 31st of this year, with the public comment period ending on March 22nd.  The new rules could limit permissable ozone levels to between 60 and 70 parts per billion (ppb).  It’s the health of our communities and human lives at stake: limiting ozone to 70 ppb is predicted to help prevent 2,200 heart attacks, while a limit of 60 ppb would help prevent 5,300.  Ground-level ozone also contributes to asthma attacks, permanent lung damage, and other forms of respiratory illness that plague thousands of US citizens each year.

By announcing its intent to re-examine ozone standards, the EPA has already taken a firm step in the right direction.  Yet it’s far from certain just how stringent new standards will be, and there can be no doubt the coal and oil industries will do all in their power to see the weakest possible rule take effect.  Pleas send a personalized letter to the EPA before the March 22nd deadline, letting them know you want the strongest possible ruling.  Remember, the difference between a standard of 70 and 60 ppb may translate to 3,100 heart attacks!

A strong new standard for ozone will have tangible effects on communities exposed to pollution.  Ground-level ozone in the US is regulated by county, and many counties across the nation are expected to fail the stronger of the new standards being proposed.  One such is Multnomah County, Oregon – a place I know well and visit multiple times each week.  Stronger ozone rules would likely result in stricter controls in this region on vehicle emissions, and pollution from Oregon’s Boardman Coal Plant.  The result will be safer Oregon communities, lower healthcare costs for many families, and a healthier workforce in our urban areas.

However the importance of the ozone ruling will extend even further.  Ozone smog doesn’t just impact human health, but also forests and other natural ecosystems.  Here in Oregon, ozone from sources like the Boardman Coal Plant is a major contributor to haze in the Columbia River Gorge.  Ozone’s impact on natural areas will be addressed by the “secondary limits” part of the EPA’s ozone rules.  A strict secondary limit of 7 parts per million-hours for ozone could have a dramatic impact on haze pollution in scenic areas, and damage to forest ecosystems across the country.

Will stricter standards for ground-level ozone solve the problem of the coal and oil industry’s on human health?  Of course not.  But the EPA adopting the strictest viable standards for ozone pollution would be a step toward requiring that polluters pay the actual costs of pollution.  It would mean many coal plant operators would have to look at implementing expensive pollution controls, making a switch to clean energy more cost-effective.  It would mean yet another hurdle for new coal plant proposals, which would have to show they wouldn’t push a county above the safe ozone threshold.

The Obama EPA, led by Administrator Lisa Jackson, has a chance to get tough on ozone and show the administration’s willingness to hold polluters accountable.  Please contact the EPA today, and let the agency know why limiting ozone is important to you.