Smog. Very Bad Stuff. And today is the day you can to DO something about it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes to strengthen national ambient air quality standard for ground-level ozone - smog's primary component - and today is the FINAL day for public comment. (Identify comments as Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0172, and submit by email: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov> or the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov.)
This is personal with me. I have environmentally-induced asthma as a direct consequence of Atlanta's poisonously filthy air. The facts are simple. In April, 2000, I acted on my doctor's suggestion that I walk off a few pounds. By October, I had asthma. Why? Because I'd taken my daily walks in Midtown Atlanta. (I told the full story when I testified before the EPA in September, hearings they held here in Atlanta and 4 other cities, so it is part of the public record.)
Science is more clear than ever. As the EPA says, "...exposure to (ground-level) ozone is associated with an array of respiratory problems, including aggravated asthma, increased susceptibility to respiratory infection, increased doctors visits, increased emergency department visits and hospital admissions, and premature death. In addition, ground-level ozone can have harmful effects on sensitive plant species - including trees and crops - and on the ecosystems they inhabit."
There's a lot more information about all the ill effects of ground-level ozone on life-forms, available at http://www.regulations.gov. And you can download the Federal Registrer notice about the proposed revisions to the ozone standards with a visit to http://www.epa.gov/groundlevelozone.
"Tomorrow" won't do! Today, OCTOBER 9, 2007, is the FINAL day of the EPA's 90 day public comment period. Tell the EPA: No compromises! Set the lowest standard possible! Save your breath.
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