39 STATES FAIL NEW OZONE STANDARD

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified 474 counties in 39 states as not in compliance with a new standard for measuring ground-level ozone, the primary component of smog.   Depending upon the severity of the problem, the counties will have from 2007 to 2021 to comply. Areas with more severe pollution levels will have longer time frames but may also have to apply more rigorous control measures--the type that southern California has been implementing for years: auto emissions testing, reformulated gas, pollution permits for large manufacturing facilities, etc. The new classifications stem from the EPA’s 1997 decision that the health risks associated with smog required lower ozone thresholds. Acceptable ozone levels cannot exceed 85 parts per billion over an eight-hour period rather than 120 parts per billion over a one-hour period.