the sooty side of the street
Just stay positive! You'll totally feel better!
Not to ruin anyone's One-Week-Til-The-Best-Doctor-Ever-Premieres Friday or anything, but this was almost too thingy-that-makee-Dexee-insaney not to share:
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 — The Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator on Thursday rejected the recommendations of his staff — and an unusual public plea from independent science advisers — choosing instead to tighten only one of two standards regulating the amount of lethal particles of soot in the air.
The short-term daily standard, intended to control acute exposure to the minute particles, was cut nearly in half. But the annual standard, which affects chronic exposure, remains at its original 1997 level.
A large volume of research has implicated the soot particles — which are less than one-thirtieth the diameter of a human hair and can penetrate deep into the lungs and the circulatory system — in tens of thousands of deaths annually from both respiratory and coronary disease. Scientists say they are among the deadliest contaminants to which the public is regularly exposed and for which the E.P.A. sets exposure levels.
Stephen L. Johnson, a career scientist at the agency and the third administrator appointed during President Bush’s six years in office, said in a conference call Thursday that the annual standard would remain at its current level while research continued. No change was made now, Mr. Johnson said, “due to insufficient evidence’’ linking health problems to long-term exposure.
“Wherever the science gave us a clear picture, we took clear action,” Mr. Johnson said, adding, “All Americans deserve to breathe clean air, and through these more protective standards that is exactly what we are delivering today.”
[snip]
In a rare display of solidarity, all but 2 of the 22 members of the agency’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Council had urged that the long-term standard be lowered to a range of 12 to 14 micrograms per cubic meter, from 15.
The American Medical Association, which seldom intervenes in such cases, agreed with the scientists in a letter to the agency in April. The letter also recommended that the daily, or acute exposure standard, be further reduced. The action on Thursday reduced the daily standard to 35 micrograms per cubic meter from 65, though the A.M.A. favored a level of 25 micrograms.
The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned power plants that generate about 60 percent of the country’s electricity, said the agency was going too far in nearly halving the daily standard.
Dan Reidinger, an Edison spokesman, said power plant emissions associated with fine particles had been cut by 40 percent since 1980.
“E.P.A. persists in overemphasizing studies that suggest a possible benefit to tightening the air quality standard, ’’ Mr. Reidinger said, “while downplaying those suggesting that doing so may not provide the health benefits E.P.A. is seeking to achieve.”
Wow. Edison was feeling, you know, pretty positive about things, but here comes the EPA (notice he did not say "Environmental Protection Agency), with it's mandate to protect the environment, you know, and totally harshes Edison's buzz.
Too good. That last bit's just too good. Can I hear that one again?
“E.P.A. persists in overemphasizing studies that suggest a possible benefit to tightening the air quality standard, ’’ Mr. Reidinger said, “while downplaying those suggesting that doing so may not provide the health benefits E.P.A. is seeking to achieve.”
Prithee, dear Mr. Reidinger, which studies with the pro-soot bent are you referring to?
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