[20141015]IN10165_EPA即将发布的臭氧标准：合规成本是多少？.pdf

CRS InsightsEPAs Upcoming Ozone Standard: How Much Will Compliance Cost?James E. McCarthy, Specialist in Environmental Policy (jmccarthycrs.loc.gov, 7-7225)October 15, 2014 (IN10165)The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is under a court order to complete a review of its ambientair quality standard for ozone (the ozone NAAQS) by October 1, 2015. The agency must propose anychange to the standard by December 1 of this year.A NAAQS is essentially EPAs definition of what constitutes clean air in the case of six of the mostcommon pollutants. The agency conducts an exhaustive review of the published research on the healtheffects of these pollutants before determining the levels that (in the Clean Air Acts words) arerequisite to protect the public health, allowing an adequate margin of safety. If an area has monitorreadings higher than the ozone NAAQS when averaged over a three-year period, the area is innonattainment of the standard.The NAAQS does not directly impose emission controls on industry or other pollution sources, but itsets in motion a process under which nonattainment areas are identified and states submitimplementation plans to EPA to demonstrate how they will bring the a