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U.S. EPA MOVES TO APPROVE CALIFORNIA'S CLEAN AIR PLANS

Release Date: 3/4/1996
Contact Information: Bill Glenn, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1589

 (San Francisco) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) today announced its preliminary endorsement of California's newest plans for reducing air pollution to meet national health standards.  The plans to reduce smog include provisions for cleaner- burning heavy-duty trucks and buses, and lower-polluting automobile fuels, pesticides and consumer products.  As part of this action, U.S. EPA is also proposing to approve the state's more effective Smog Check program.

     "These plans, if faithfully carried out, should mean healthy air for all Californians in the years to come," said Felicia Marcus, regional administrator for U.S. EPA's western region.  "They're comprehensive strategies, designed by Californians for Californians.  After carefully reviewing the plans, we believe they can provide a successful road map for solving a significant public health problem."

     Marcus noted that California has considerable flexibility in how it chooses to meet clean air goals.  "As conditions change, we expect that some of California's specific strategies may also shift," Marcus added.  "But it is imperative that they continue to add up to healthy, breathable air as guaranteed to all Americans by the Clean Air Act."

     Under the Clean Air Act, states with unhealthful air quality are required to submit plans demonstrating how health standards for ground-level ozone, or smog, will be met by the deadlines set forth in the law.  Ground-level ozone causes health problems by damaging lung tissue and sensitizing the lungs to other irritants.  Studies show that regular exposure to ozone at concentrations found in many heavily populated areas of California can significantly reduce lung function in normal, healthy people during periods of moderate exercise.  People with asthma, the elderly, and children are especially at risk.

     Although California's air quality has improved markedly in recent years, it remains the worst in the nation.  More than three-quarters of all Californians are currently exposed to health-threatening levels of air pollution, and the South Coast air basin exceeded national health standards for smog on 98 days in 1995.

     U.S. EPA is formally proposing approval of nearly all the components of California's state implementation plan (SIP) for ozone pollution.  The proposed action will be followed by a 45-day public comment period to allow members of the public to review U.S. EPA's work and provide input.  The text of the proposal is currently available on the Internet's World Wide Web at the U.S. EPA Region 9 site (https://www.epa.gov/region09) and will soon be officially published in the Federal Register.

     As part of its action, U.S. EPA is creating a consultative process in which representatives of industry, environmental groups, and state and local governments will work together to find the best solutions for reducing pollution from wide-traveling sources such as jet airliners, trains and ships.  U.S. EPA is using a similar approach with the state of California and engine manufacturers to design a process to reduce smog-forming emissions from heavy-duty engines such as those found in trucks, construction equipment, and large generators.  Further emission reductions from sources such as these could play an important role in the attainment of air quality standards in California's heavily polluted areas, as well as improving air quality in other parts of the country.

     "We will work with California to help it meet its challenging but critical clean air goals," said Marcus.  "The state's blueprint calls for tighter emission standards on a national scale to help meet this challenge.  Our goal is to identify and implement solutions that make environmental and economic sense for everyone."

     The plans cover seven areas -- the South Coast (including Los Angeles), Southeast Desert, Ventura, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Diego, and Santa Barbara air basins.  The plans include emission inventories, rate-of-progress plans, air quality modeling, attainment demonstrations, and control measure commitments.  U.S. EPA has proposed to approve all of the plan elements except for rate-of-progress plans for the Southeast Desert and Sacramento, which are still undergoing review.

     In addition, U.S. EPA approval of the air quality plans for the South Coast is contingent upon the rescheduling of rulemaking deadlines that were set forth but then missed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.  U.S. EPA believes that action to advance currently-planned pollution control measures in the area is vital to meeting clean air goals for the South Coast, and the agency hopes to work with the state and the South Coast AQMD to ensure that progress in reducing pollution levels in Southern California is resumed.


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