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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced
today a new ground-level ozone standard of 70 parts per billion (ppb), which has
been lowered from 75ppb. Based on
preliminary 2015 monitoring data, all monitors in Minnesota are able to meet
the standard. Currently, the highest
ozone monitors in Minnesota are at 65ppb and are located in Blaine and
Marshall. To find out more about the new
standard and ozone levels in Minnesota, visit the MPCA’s new ozone standard webpage.
Ground-level ozone, also known as smog, is a pollutant that
can irritate the lungs and worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma, among
other known health impacts. The Clean
Air Act requires the EPA to review national standards for ozone and other
wide-spread air pollutants every five years to ensure that the standards align with
the most current scientific evidence and are protective of human health and the
environment. The standard was lowered
today because EPA determined that the scientific evidence indicates that health
impacts occur at lower concentrations of ozone than previously thought. For more information on ozone, visit the
MPCA’s ozone webpage.
The MPCA and our partners in Clean Air Minnesota have been
working together in recent years to develop programs to voluntarily reduce
ozone concentrations in the state. This
effort was propelled by an understanding that health impacts are seen –
especially in vulnerable individuals – even at ozone concentrations below the
standard. We also wanted to keep ahead
of the new standard to ensure that Minnesota would be able to comply with the
new regulation.
The fact that we are currently under the standard doesn’t
mean our work is done, though! We are
still very close to the standard and if ozone levels go up – even if it is due
to weather – we could be in violation of the standard. We may also have responsibilities to lower
our emissions to help our neighboring states come into compliance with the
standard. And every five years EPA must
review the ozone standard; in recent years they have been finding health
impacts at lower and lower concentrations of the pollutant, resulting in a lower and lower standard. In order to continue to protect the health of
all Minnesotans and comply with current and future national standards, we will
need to continue to voluntarily reduce the emissions that cause ozone. We at the MPCA look forward to continuing to
work with our partners in Clean Air Minnesota and beyond to continue this
important work!
Please visit our website for more information on the new
ozone standard and what it means for Minnesotans. For more information on air pollution and its
impacts on Minnesotans’ health, visit BeAirAwareMN.org.
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