News, Documents: Bush asked for weaker smog standard. (government, voted, million)

[JD59]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency agreed to weaken an important part of its new smog requirements after being told at the last minute that President Bush preferred a less stringent approach, according to government documents.

Documents: Bush asked for weaker smog standard - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/14/dirty.air.ap/index.html - broken link)

[burdell]

If there's one thing GWB has excelled at it's lowering standards and expectations

[paperhouse]

Originally Posted by burdell

If there's one thing GWB has excelled at it's lowering standards and expectations

Lowest common denominator.

[burdell]

Originally Posted by paperhouse

Lowest common denominator.

If he could say that 3 times fast I mighta voted for him

[NewToCA]

The issue is much more complex than presented, it has to do with the air standards in rural areas, and the tradeoffs with farming and biofuel production. The decision was to make a single common standard, using the human health standards.


The new primary 8-hour standard is 0.075 parts per million (ppm) and the new secondary standard is set at a form and level identical to the primary standard. The previous primary and secondary standards were identical 8-hour standards, set at 0.08 ppm. Because ozone is measured out to three decimal places, the standard effectively became 0.084 ppm: areas with ozone levels as high as 0.084 ppm were considered as meeting the 0.08 ppm standard, because of rounding.

EPA Strengthens Smog Standards to Better Protect Human Health and the Environment | Newsroom | US EPA