President Obama abruptly pulled back proposed new national smog standards Friday morning overruling the Environmental Protection Agencys efforts to compel states and communities nationwide to reduce local air pollution in the coming years or face federal penalties.
The move represented a win for the business community which had lobbied to postpone new restrictions on ground-level ozoneknown as smoguntil 2013 in light of the current economic downturn.
In a statement Obama praised EPA administrator Lisa P. Jacksons effort to improve the nations air quality but said he had asked her to withdraw the draft standards since they were scheduled to be reconsidered two years from now anyway.
Work is already underway to update a 2006 review of the science that will result in the reconsideration of the ozone standard in 2013" Obama said. Ultimately I did not support asking state and local governments to begin implementing a new standard that will soon be reconsidered."
Ground-level ozone is formed when emissions from power plants other industrial facilities vehicles and landfills react in the sunlight. Smog can cause or aggravate health problems such as asthma and heart disease and it has been linked to premature death.
The federal government normally reviews the standards for ground-level ozonewhich includes a "primary" one for public health and a secondary" one aimed at the environment-- every five years. But Jackson chose to revisit the standard which was set under the Bush administration at 75 parts per billion in March 2008 because that level was significantly higher than the 60 to 70 ppb recommended by the EPAs scientific advisory committee at the time.
In January 2010 Jackson announced that she would set the standard somewhere between 60 and 70 parts per billion.
The proposed rule is so contentious because it requires counties to keep local pollution in check or risk losing federal funds thereby halting or delaying the permitting of new industrial facilities. While the most polluted areas will have up to 20 years to meet the new standards business leaders suggest it could stop certain operations from expanding once the economy rebounds.
The decision drew immediate fire from environmentalists.
Its unfortunate that the administration is siding with big oil over the health of children seniors and the infirm" said Daniel J. Weiss of the Center for American Progress a liberal think tank.
President Obama abruptly pulled back proposed new national smog standards Friday morning overruling the Environmental Protection Agencys efforts to compel states and communities nationwide to reduce local air pollution in the coming years or face federal penalties.
The move represented a win for the business community which had lobbied to postpone new restrictions on ground-level ozoneknown as smoguntil 2013 in light of the current economic downturn.
In a statement Obama praised EPA administrator Lisa P. Jacksons effort to improve the nations air quality but said he had asked her to withdraw the draft standards since they were scheduled to be reconsidered two years from now anyway.
Work is already underway to update a 2006 review of the science that will result in the reconsideration of the ozone standard in 2013" Obama said. Ultimately I did not support asking state and local governments to begin implementing a new standard that will soon be reconsidered."
Ground-level ozone is formed when emissions from power plants other industrial facilities vehicles and landfills react in the sunlight. Smog can cause or aggravate health problems such as asthma and heart disease and it has been linked to premature death.
The federal government normally reviews the standards for ground-level ozonewhich includes a "primary" one for public health and a secondary" one aimed at the environment-- every five years. But Jackson chose to revisit the standard which was set under the Bush administration at 75 parts per billion in March 2008 because that level was significantly higher than the 60 to 70 ppb recommended by the EPAs scientific advisory committee at the time.
In January 2010 Jackson announced that she would set the standard somewhere between 60 and 70 parts per billion.
The proposed rule is so contentious because it requires counties to keep local pollution in check or risk losing federal funds thereby halting or delaying the permitting of new industrial facilities. While the most polluted areas will have up to 20 years to meet the new standards business leaders suggest it could stop certain operations from expanding once the economy rebounds.
The decision drew immediate fire from environmentalists.
Its unfortunate that the administration is siding with big oil over the health of children seniors and the infirm" said Daniel J. Weiss of the Center for American Progress a liberal think tank.
