A decent proposal? EPA's new clean air standards.

The use of scientific information in setting ambient air standards.

The Clean Air Act, as amended in 1977, requires periodic review and revision of all national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) to insure that they are based on the latest scientific information. This article presents an overview of how EPA currently reviews and establishes NAAQS. The role of scientific information and expertise in the process is illustrated by a review of several key issues...

Preliminary Assessment of Chromium Emissions from Chromium Electroplating Faci Lities

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to add either chromium or hexavalent chromium to the list of hazardous air pollutants under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act. A preliminary assessment performed by EPA has identified several categories of stationary sources as emitters of significant quantities of chromium to the atmosphere and for which the proposal o f national e...

The emerging role of benefit-cost analysis in the regulatory process at EPA.

Almost since its inception, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been using analytical techniques related to the concept of balancing benefits and costs. As a result of the Reagan Administration's Executive Order 12291, benefit-cost analysis is playing an increasingly important role in the EPA regulatory process. Benefit-cost analysis has assisted in organizing information and imp...

EPA's Assessment of Health Benefits Associated with PM2.5 Reductions for the Final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards

Fine Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards: Public Health Impact on Populations in the Northeastern United States

In this article we identify the magnitude of general and susceptible populations within the northeastern United States that would benefit from compliance with alternative U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annual and 24-hr mass-based standards for particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter < or = 2.5 microm (PM2.5). Understanding the scale of susceptibility in relation to the ...