Apr 29, 2005 6:07 am US/Eastern
California Adopts Nation's Toughest Smog Law
It May Take The State Years To Meet The New Standard
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
California adopted a new limit on ozone levels Thursday that gives the state the toughest air pollution guidelines in the nation.
Supporters estimate that, if fully effective, the new standard could save Californians millions of dollars each year in medical costs and productivity losses linked to smog-induced illnesses.
Its critics argue the new standard is largely symbolic. Most of the state currently fails to meet a less stringent federal standard for ozone, and California has no authority to impose sanctions for violations of the rules.
Supporters insist that while it may take years for the state to meet the new standard, its existence will force individual air quality districts to implement long-term strategies to reduce pollution.
The eight-member Air Resources Board approved the new limit unanimously, although several members expressed concerns about the unknown cost of implementing it.
Bonnie Holmes-Gen, spokeswoman for the American Lung Association of California, said the ozone standard is based on new research. She said evidence now suggests pollution can cause a host of illnesses — heart and lung disease, asthma, premature death — and can exacerbate the symptoms of diabetes.
Ozone pollution occurs when hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides — released as fossil fuels burn or chemicals evaporate — combine with heat and sunlight.
California is the only state that's allowed to have its own air pollution standards because it had emissions requirements in place before the federal Clean Air Act was passed in 1971, noted Sonya Lunder, spokeswoman for the Environmental Working Group.
In 2002, the state board adopted the nation's stiffest air quality standards for particulate matter — particles of soot and dirt tinier than a human hair but dangerous enough to damage lungs.
The standard approved Thursday calls for an average ozone level that doesn't exceed .070 parts per million over an eight-hour period. The federal eight-hour standard is .080 parts per million.
Seventy percent of California counties didn't meet the federal eight-hour standard between 2000-2003, said Lunder, and an estimated 92 percent of counties would fail the state standard.
The Environmental Protection Agency can withhold federal transportation funds from states that don't meet their ozone standards, but most states have until 2021 to fully comply, state officials said.
A coalition of groups representing the automobile and technology industries had opposed the new state eight-hour guideline.
Bruce Magnani, legislative advocate for the California Chamber of Commerce, said the proposed standard approaches limiting the amount of ozone pollution to what occurs naturally in the air — .040 parts per million.
"I think it could only have negative impacts on the economy, because it's so strict. No one knows how they're going to implement this," Magnani said.
(© 2005 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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