Groups Urge Ohio EPA To List Counties Violating News Federal Air Rules

(29 May 2003 — Washington, DC) Environmental Defense and Ohio Citizen Action, among other groups, today urged the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) to include specific counties on the list of areas that violate federal air standards.  In a letter to the state agency, the groups noted that OEPA’s list omits counties without air quality monitors, including six that according to federal requirements should be listed.  The action was prompted by an Environmental Defense report that found exposure to ozone, which is harmful to human health, varies within a region and that numerous areas lack any monitoring.  The report and a copy of the letter can be found at www.environmentaldefense.org. 

“This is a classic catch-22.  Many counties do not have ozone monitors to measure air quality, but without this data, it is assumed that the air is clean,” said Halley Rosen, ozone project manager for Environmental Defense.  “Some of these counties are close to areas with dangerous ozone levels.  For example, U.S. EPA’s own mapping data show that ozone affects Champaign County.  Yet without monitoring data, nothing is done to alert residents or reduce pollution.” 

In summer 2002, Environmental Defense partnered with local environmental groups in Dayton, Cleveland, and Atlanta, Georgia to train citizen volunteers to collect and analyze local ozone data using a hand-held monitor.  An analysis of the data, contained in the new report, suggests that ozone levels can vary significantly and that government monitors may not be capturing the highest levels in a given region.  For example, on a random day in Dayton, people were exposed to ozone levels as much as .050 parts per million (ppm) higher in nearby neighborhoods.  Studies show that ozone levels as low as .040 ppm can impact human health.  Smog can trigger asthma attacks and exacerbate other respiratory illness and a new study by the University of Southern California Medical School demonstrates that smog can actually cause asthma among young children who exercise in areas with high ozone.    

The report also points out that Ohio lacks data on air quality in all the counties that are likely to have bad air.  This data is important if the state is to compile an accurate list of counties that are considered to be in violation of federal health standards.  This list, which must be submitted to US EPA by July 15, 2003, was released in draft form last month and overlooks some potential problem areas in Ohio. 

“The designation of areas that violate new federal air regulations is an opportunity for states like Ohio to ensure that residents are equally protected,” said Jane Forrest Redfern of Ohio Citizen Action.  “Ohio’s draft list fails to include several important counties, namely Fulton, Auglaize, Brown, Gallia, Carroll, and Columbiana that should be included according to federal rules.”

Each of these counties is part of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) that is in violation of the ozone standard.  According to federal requirements, if one county within a MSA violates federal air standards, all counties making up that MSA are to be considered non-attainment areas.