Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0172-4252
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2007-10-12T04:00Z

"Schwab, Margo" <Margo_Schwab@omb.eop.gov> 

10/04/2007 09:17 AM

	

To

Lydia Wegman/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, "Johansson, Robert"
<Robert_C._Johansson@omb.eop.gov>, "Fraas, Arthur G."
<Arthur_G._Fraas@omb.eop.gov>, "Farrell, Amy L."
<Amy_L._Farrell@ceq.eop.gov>

cc

Harvey Richmond/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, Karen Martin/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, Tricia
Crabtree/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, Deirdre Murphy/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA, Lydia
Wegman/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA

Subject

RE: Ozone air quality items for OMB/CEQ

 Yes, pls send a copy of the August briefing. Thanks.

-----Original Message-----

From: Wegman.Lydia@epamail.epa.gov [mailto:Wegman.Lydia@epamail.epa.gov]

Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 6:26 PM

To: Johansson, Robert; Schwab, Margo; Fraas, Arthur G.; Farrell, Amy L.

Cc: richmond.harvey@epa.gov; martin.karen@epa.gov;

Crabtree.Tricia@epamail.epa.gov; murphy.deirdre@epa.gov;

wegman.lydia@epa.gov

Subject: Fw: Ozone air quality items for OMB/CEQ

Rob, Margo and Art,

Below is the link to the New England ozone information and a copy of the

memo which discusses the evaluation of the air quality rollback approach

we used.   Harvey is going to check on the status of our draft trends

report and will get you a copy of it as soon as we can.

On the lead NAAQS review, our schedule is as follows:

Staff paper issued 11/1/07

Draft ANPR to you for review 11/13-27/07 ANPR signed 11/30/07 CASAC

meeting to discuss staff paper and ANPR sometime between

12/10-21/07

Draft NPR to you for review 2/29/08

NPR signed late March '08

Draft NFR to you for review 7/30/08

Final NFR signed 9/1/08

We would like to brief you on the lead NAAQS issues the week of November

5, which would be after issuance of the staff paper and final risk

assessment but before you receive the ANPR.  Would that work for you?

We can send you a copy of a briefing from August if that would be useful

to you.  It if is not completely up to date, as we are refining the risk

assessment in response to CASAC's comments, but it would give you some

idea of the issues and information which will form the basis for the

staff paper.  Let me know if that would be useful to you.

I need to talk to Allen Basala who is in charge of the lead NAAQS RIA

and see when he will be ready to meet with you to discuss that.   I hope

to do that tomorrow.  Thanks.

----- Forwarded by Lydia Wegman/RTP/USEPA/US on 10/03/2007 06:14 PM

-----

                                                                        

             Harvey                                                     

             Richmond/RTP/USE                                           

             PA/US                                                   To 

                                      Lydia Wegman/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA     

             10/03/2007 05:01                                        cc 

             PM                       Karen Martin/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA,    

                                      Dave Mckee/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA,      

                                      Michael Rizzo/RTP/USEPA/US@EPA    

                                                                Subject 

                                      Re: Ozone air quality items for   

                                      OMB/CEQ                           

                                                                        

                                                                        

                                                                        

                                                                        

                                                                        

                                                                        

Lydia,

In response to the requests from OMB and CEQ today,  I've pasted the EPA

Region I press release comparing ozone levels in New England this past

summer with prior summers.  The press release also includes links to EPA

websites with additional analyses of the pattern of ozone levels over

the years for the New England region.

I've also attached Mike Rizzo's May 2006  memo which discusses

evaluation of the air quality adjustment procedure using some actual

monitoring data for a few urban areas.  This memo is also available on

the ozone NAAQS web page and was part of the package reviewed by CASAC

when they reviewed the drafts of the Staff Paper.

These materials are ready to be sent to OMB and CEQ.

Harvey

    Harvey M. Richmond

    Ambient Standards Group

    Health and Environmental Impacts Division

    U.S. EPA

    C504-06

    RTP, NC  27711

    (office) 919-541-5271

    (fax) 919-541-0237

    (email)  richmond.harvey@epa.gov

(See attached file: rizzo_5-31-06.pdf)

 

 New England Experienced More Smog Days During Recent Summer, But

 Long-Term Trend is Still Toward Cleaner Air

 

 

 Release date: 10/01/2007

 

 

 Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

 

 

 

 (Boston, Mass. - Oct. 1, 2007) - As the 2007 summer ozone season comes

to an end, EPA today confirmed that New Englanders experienced a modest

increase in the number of poor air quality days this year, compared to  

 2006. The increase in number of days with reduced air quality is

 related to hot weather experienced throughout the region during the

 summer.

 

 Based on preliminary data collected between May and September, there

 were 26 days when ozone monitors in New England recorded concentrations

 above levels considered healthy. By contrast, in 2006 there were a

 total of 16 unhealthy ozone days. Over the longer term, however, the

 air quality in New England continues to improve.

 

 The number of unhealthy ozone days in each state this summer were as

 follows: 17 days in Connecticut (compared to 13 in 2006); 20 days in

 Massachusetts (11 in 2006); 8 days in Rhode Island (3 in 2006); 8 days

in Maine (2 in 2006); 6 days in New Hampshire (2 in 2006); and 1 day in 

 Vermont (none in 2006). Ground-level ozone, the main ingredient of

 smog, is unhealthy when average concentrations exceed 0.08 parts per

 million over an 8-hour period.

 

 The increase in the number of days with unhealthy air this year was

 directly related to the increase in the number of hot days this year.

 Sunlight and high temperatures speed the formation of ground-level

 ozone smog; many areas of New England had more days exceeding 90

 degrees this summer than during last summer. August and September were

 especially hot, dry and sunny for much of New England.

 

 Although warm temperatures this summer led to an increase in unhealthy

 days, over the long-term New England has experienced a decreasing

 number of unhealthy ozone days. Also, peak ozone concentrations have

 decreased significantly over the last 30 years. In 1983, New England

 had 90 unhealthy days, compared with 26 this summer. Overall, peak

 ozone concentrations in New England have decreased by more than 20

 percent since 1980.

 

 Another measure of air quality in New England is the geographic extent

of the unhealthy air quality. This is determined by counting the number 

 of air quality monitors that recorded exceedances of EPA's

 health-protective 8-hour ozone standard. A higher number of monitor

 exceedances means a more extensive area of unhealthy air quality. When

comparing the 2007 ozone season to the 2001 ozone season, a New England 

 summer with temperature data similar to this summer, the total number

 of monitored exceedances dropped from 349 in 2001 to 175 this past

 summer. This is an approximately 50 percent decrease in the number of

 areas exceeding the standard over this six year period.

 

 "When we look back to the air quality conditions a generation ago, we

 can feel proud of the advances we have made in reducing pollution,"

 said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England

 regional office. "The unhealthy days we experienced this summer,

 however, remind us that our efforts to use cleaner cars and our

 commitment to reducing industrial emissions and conserving energy in

 our own daily lives, all measures that lower air pollution, must

 continue."

 

 Ground-level ozone (smog) is formed when volatile organic compounds

 (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) chemically react in the presence of

sunlight. Cars, trucks and buses give off the majority of the pollution 

 that makes smog. Fossil fuel burning at electric power plants, which

 run at high capacities on hot days, gives off significant amounts of

 smog-making pollution. Gas stations, print shops, household products

 like paints and cleaners, as well as gasoline-powered lawn and garden

 equipment, also contribute to smog formation.

 

 Exposure to elevated ozone levels can cause serious breathing problems,

and aggravate asthma and other pre-existing lung diseases. It can also  

 make people who are vulnerable more susceptible to respiratory

 infection.

 

 EPA has taken a number of steps to further reduce air pollution. Since

 model year 2004, new cars, sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and

 minivans are meeting stringent new emission standards. The requirements

 are being phased in between 2004 and 2009 resulting in vehicles that

 are 77 to 95 percent cleaner than older models. The program also

 requires a 90 percent reduction in the sulfur content of gasoline,

 which is helping reduce emissions from all vehicles new and old. Also,

 beginning in 2007, EPA's standards for new diesel engines for trucks

 and buses will reduce NOx and particulate matter emissions by 90

 percent.

 

 In addition, EPA has issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule to help

 reduce the transport of air pollution from power plants across state

 boundaries. When fully implemented, this rule will reduce power plant

 NOx emissions by over 60 percent and sulfur dioxide by over 70 percent

 from 2003 levels.

 

 Although the 2007 ozone season is ending, pollution from small

 particles in the air is a year-round concern. The daily air quality

 index forecast will continue to be available at www.epa.gov/ne/aqi/.

 New Englanders can also sign up at this address to receive air quality

 alerts. These alerts are issued by e-mail, whenever necessary, to

 notify program participants when high concentrations of ground-level

 ozone or fine particles are predicted to occur, in their area.

 

 Historical charts of unhealthy air days from 1983 through 2007 are

 available for each state on EPA New England's web site at:

 www.epa.gov/ne/airquality/standard.html. A preliminary list of the

 unhealthy readings recorded this summer by date and monitor location,

 and corresponding air quality maps for each day, can be found at:

 www.epa.gov/region1/airquality/o3exceed-07.html.