Without sound clean air strategies, the resulting pollution may overtake and reverse progress. Public education campaigns highlighting the impacts of increased vehicle usage and continued partnering with other state and local transportation agencies to implement clean air strategies can help alleviate problems associated with growth. Changes to Federal Standards for Particulate and Ozone EPA adopted new federal fine particulate and ozone standards in July, 1997. Dozens of recent health studies show that historical federal standards for ozone and fine particles were not adequate to protect public health. EPA and health professionals estimate that fine particles cause premature death for over 40,000 Americans each year, more than the number who die from automobile accidents.
New standards mean a new beginning for nonattainment designations and cleanup plans.
The Puget Sound area and Vancouver appear to meet the new ozone standard but only by the smallest of margins. Future growth may trigger nonattainment. EPA created an additional fine particle standard based on even smaller particle size than the present one. Over the next 2 years, Ecology will invest substantial resources to establish ambient monitoring and emission factors for the new standard. Control and pollution prevention strategies will have to be reevaluated in light of the revised standards.