2014

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ATS Advocates for Stricter Ozone Standard

November 2014

Last week, the ATS lead a delegation of medical groups in a meeting with White House/Office of Management and Budget to advocate for a stricter Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone.

ATS member Greg Diette MD opened the meeting by stating the medical community's support for a new standard of 60 parts per billion (ppb/8-hour). The current standard of 75 ppb was set during the Bush Administration. The focus of the meeting was to share with OMB staff recent epidemiological and chamber studies that show the current standard of 75 ppb does not protect the public from the known adverse effects of exposure to ozone.

Dr. Diette was joined by representatives from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Preventive Medicine, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

The EPA is under a court order to issue a proposed ozone standard by December 1, 2014 and finalize the ozone standard in 2015.

Last Reviewed: October 2017