This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Aug. 10 article "Report estimates ozone pollution kills more than a dozen people in Salt Lake City each year" on the American Thoracic Society's recent report Health of the Air fails to provide readers key information about our federal air quality standards.
First, the article does not mention that the Environmental Protection Agency just last year, based on thousands of public health studies, rejected tightening standards to 60 parts per billion (ppb), choosing instead to tighten the standard to 70ppb down from 75ppb.
That is because the link between ozone levels and public health is highly contested, with air regulators and academics questioning the fundamental science behind ATS's claims. Further, for many parts of the country, achieving a 60ppb standard could be impossible due to naturally occurring background ozone.
Meanwhile, the economic fallout for a standard at 60ppb is certain to be severe. According to a 2014 study conducted by NERA, a 60ppb ozone standard would annually reduce U.S. GDP by $270 billion and result in 2.9 million fewer jobs through 2040, and cost the average U.S. household $1,570 per year in the form of lost consumption.
Karen Kerrigan
Center for Regulatory Solutions
Washington, D.C.