Notes from EPA conference regarding new ozone standard

• The old (1997) standard not adequate to protect public health, based on > 1700 studies. Clinical studies show evidence of adverse respiratory response in HEALTHY adults at old standard (80 ppb). Yes, even the healthiest adults can suffer health effects at the old standard, so those who argue that the EPA is ramping standards down even though "the air is cleaner than it's ever been" aren't taking into account healthy adults coming down with asthma or other respiratory disorders.
• Studies provide the first evidence linking high ozone to mortality (deaths) in sensitive populations. Previous standard was based just on damaging or debilitating health effects. We can say now that people die due to ground level ozone at the old standard.
  
• High ozone also reduces crop yields and increases susceptibility to disease and insects (e.g., threatens our food production)
• EPA is considering expanding monitoring in areas between 50,000 and 350,000 that do not currently have monitoring. For us, that would include getting some data from the seven neighboring counties that will also be in violation of the new standard (some are in violation already, I suspect, we just don't know it due to lack of monitoring). These include Sevier, Anderson, Blount counties. I've had a number of questions before about the air quality in these counties, and all I could say before is "we don't know, there are no monitors." That could change, but wouldn't happen until after the final rule is promulgated in 2009.