Gov. Rell Urges Quick EPA Action to Put New Smog Standard in Place

Press Release

Gov. Rell Urges Quick EPA Action to Put New Smog Standard in Place

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today she is urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to quickly adopt its proposed new and more stringent standards on smog that would improve the air quality in the Northeast and sanction upwind states to the south and west where smog-causing pollutants are generated.

"All of us in Connecticut look forward to the day when we are able to put an end to what is a great and unacceptable irony," the Governor wrote in a letter to federal EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "The irony is that industry, electrical power generating facilities and other sources in states to our west and south generate pollutants that cause smog, which is carried into Connecticut by prevailing winds.

This transported pollution greatly degrades air quality in Connecticut to a level that does not meet federal standards -- while the upwind states are not being required to achieve commensurate reductions and are not subject to federal Clean Air Act sanctions," the Governor wrote.

On January 6, EPA proposed to strengthen the eight-hour "primary" ozone standard by setting it at a level within a range of 0.060-0.070 parts per million (ppm). Connecticut and other states have been working to implement plans to meet a standard of 0.084 ppm, which was adopted in 1997. The EPA did adopt a standard of 0.075 ppm in 2008, but before it could be fully implemented, the agency announced a reconsideration of it. If the EPA adopts a standard between 0.060-0.070 as has been proposed, it would be consistent with the recommendations of an EPA panel of science advisors, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee.

Ozone in the air reduces lung function, irritates and inflames the airways, contributing to increased cases and increased severity of lung disease, such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis. Ozone is also linked to premature death due to heart or lung disease.

Governor Rell said the stronger standard will help the nation address more aggressively "unacceptably" high levels of illness and death caused by exposure to excessive levels of ozone.

"In addition, to effectively implement the proposed new standard, I urge EPA to adopt stronger national rules for power plants, industrial/commercial and institutional (ICI) boilers, mobile sources and consumer products," the Governor said. "These are the sources of pollutants that are precursors to ozone and of the pollution carried into our state from other locations."

EPA has said it will review comment on its proposed standard and issue the final standard by August 31, 2010.

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