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Announced in March by EPA, the new standard has been set at 0.75 parts per million (ppm) and takes effect May 27. The current standard is 0.08 ppm. Throughout the process of developing the new standard, EPA’s scientific advisory board and a number of states advocated for a more stringent standard that would be more protective of human health and the environment. “Unhealthy air can pose some very serious health challenges, especially for individuals already suffering from respiratory ailments,” Governor Rell said. “Unfortunately, the disappointing measures adopted by EPA in March fall short of protecting the public’s health.” In her letter to DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy, Governor Rell emphasized the efforts Connecticut has undertaken to protect the health and well-being of its residents and to conserve its natural resources, highlighting recent efforts such as climate change initiatives and the effort to block the Broadwater liquefied natural gas platform in Long Island Sound. Many of these initiatives have required Connecticut to go to court to successfully achieve its health and environmental goals. “Connecticut, once again, is forced to use legal action to hold EPA to its mission of protecting public health and the environment,” Governor Rell said. “The federal agency sidestepped this mission in December when it prevented states from enacting stricter tailpipe standards to curb greenhouse gas emissions and they have done it again with the ozone standard. “For decades, Connecticut has been working hard to improve its air quality and control harmful pollutants,” the Governor said. “Yet dealing with ground-level ozone has been very much an uphill fight because wind patterns siphon harmful pollutants from the west and south into our region. By putting in place more stringent ozone standards, EPA would have helped level the playing field and forced pollution sources outside of our region to do more to address air quality within their states, benefiting both their residents and ours. “As was the case with the California car standards, it is clear that EPA officials acted contrary to the advice offered by their own professional experts,” Governor Rell said. “Sadly, while we deal with a case of déjà vu, thousands of Connecticut residents will struggle with a host of respiratory ailments throughout the summer. We are doing our share here in Connecticut to protect our residents. It is time the federal government joined us in this critical endeavor.” Ozone found close to the earth’s surface, called ground-level ozone, is a component of smog and a harmful pollutant. Ground-level ozone is produced by a complex chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the presence of sunlight. Major sources of VOCs and NOx are automobiles; gasoline storage, transfer and refueling; and large combustion sources at utility and industrial facilities. Unhealthy ground-level ozone concentrations may cause a variety of respiratory problems including breathing difficulty, coughing and throat irritation. Breathing ozone can affect lung functions and worsen asthma episodes. © Copyright by NorwalkPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of NorwalkPlus.com, Norwalk Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Related Articles: CURRENT HEADLINES: Top of Page
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