The Environmental Protection Agency proposed stricter health standards
for smog on Thursday. The smog restrictions could affect Minnesota,
which under Bush-era limits was exempt from restrictions.
The EPA says the tighter standards will cost tens of billions to implement, but acknowledges the new restrictions on smog, which is linked to asthma attacks and other respiratory diseases, will ultimately save billions in premature deaths, emergency room visits, and missed school and work days.
The new limits will put hundreds of counties in violation, including counties in Minnesota, according to EPA data. Violations will require clamping down on pollution or face government sanctions, such as loss of highway dollars.
While smog has been a long-term problem in parts of Texas, California, and along the northeast Coast, the new standards could affect counties in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, the Dakotas, Kansas, Minnesota, and Iowa for the first time.
From the
the AP:The proposed range was what scientists had recommended during the Bush administration. However, former President George W. Bush personally intervened and set the standard above what was advised after protests from electric utilities and other industries. The Bush standard was still stricter than the previous smog standard set in 1997.
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a statement Thursday that science, this time around, had been followed. "EPA is stepping up to protect Americans from one of the most persistent and widespread pollutants we face," Jackson said. "Using the best science to strengthen these standards is long overdue action that will help millions of Americans breathe easier and live healthier."