The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Wednesday a more stringent air quality standard by setting a lower limit for ozone to protect human health and the environment.
This is the first time in more than a decade that EPA revised the standards of ozone, which is the primary component of smog.
From now on, every billion units of air in the United States must contain no more than 75 units of ozone in order to be considered healthy, a reduction from the current maximum concentration of 80 to 84 units per billion.
Under the new federal rules, 345 counties across the nation will now be in violation of the standard, about four times as many as under the old rules.
"While the standards I signed today may be strict, we have a responsibility to overhaul and enhance the Clean Air Act to ensure it translates from paper promises into cleaner air," EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said in a statement posted on its official website.
EPA's analysis shows that the nationwide cost of implementing the new standards ranges from 7.6 billion U.S. dollars to 8.5 billion U.S. dollars.
However, health benefits are likely greater than the cost of implementing, said EPA in its statement. Ozone can harm people's lungs, and especially individuals with asthma or other lung diseases, as well as those who spend a lot of time outside, such as children. Ozone exposure can aggravate asthma, resulting in increased medication use and emergency room visits, and it can increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.
Source:Xinhua
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