Editorial: Get tougher on pollution

Tuesday, June 26, 2007 | 7:08 a.m.

W ith so many children and adults suffering from respiratory problems in metropolitan areas across the country, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is right to be calling for tougher pollution standards.

Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said last week that people are not being protected by the current federal standard set for smog, whose toxicity is measured by its concentration of ground-level ozone.

This type of ozone is created when emissions, including those from automobiles, bind together in the presence of sunlight.

"Based upon the science, I do not believe there is scientific justification for retaining the current standard," Johnson said.

Set in 1997, the current standard limits ozone molecules in the atmosphere to 0.084 parts per million. Although Johnson supports a tougher standard - of between 0.070 and 0.075 parts per million - the EPA is also evaluating whether to keep the current standard or get even tougher by setting it at 0.060 ppm.

Children's risk of developing breathing problems under Johnson's recommendation would be reduced 30 percent to 60 percent, according to the EPA.

Environmental groups criticize Johnson for keeping the current standard on the table and for suggesting a middle ground instead of getting tough by just setting the 0.060 standard, which he has the authority to do under the Clean Air Act.

Many business and industry groups, however, including the National Association of Manufacturers, support keeping the current standard. Maybe their concerns about cost would lessen if they could view X-rays of the respiratory systems of many children who live in big cities.

As we see it, the EPA is well aware of the toll that smog is taking on health. It should meet this reality by setting the 0.060 standard. No city's economy would be ruined, as the agency has a history of being extremely patient with enforcement.

In 2004 the agency monitored the country's metropolitan areas to determine the compliance rate with the 1997 standard. It found that many areas, including Clark County, were not yet attaining it. No stern "comply or else" edicts were sent out.

But tougher standards do motivate metropolitan areas to work harder on their plans to reduce emissions. Even if full attainment were not met for decades, efforts would be somewhat stepped up and the air would be a little cleaner for the next generation.