Ozone standards may not be strict enough for public safety

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing to discuss the Environmental Protection Agency’s role in implementing new ozone level standards. Some members of the Committee expressed concern that witness and EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, appointed by President George W. Bush, allowed the current White House Administration to interfere with the decision making process, thus injecting politics into a scientific sphere. Rogene Henderson, chair of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, said that the recommended new national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) given to Johnson called for a new standard of .06 to .07 parts of carbon dioxide per million in the atmosphere. While Johnson initially called this range “compelling” and “necessary,” after a visit to the White House he changed his stance on the issue and set a standard of .075, higher than what Henderson said was recommended and a decision she called “willful ignorance.”

Johnson said he had enough scientific evidence to ensure he chose a safe level, and that he was not allowed to consider cost or whether the standard was realistic in his decision. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH), along with several other members of the Committee, repeatedly pressed Johnson to disclose whether he received pressure from the White House in regards to his decision and explicitly said he need not reveal the content of any discussions. Johnson consistently avoided a “yes or no” answer, and replied each time that he has “routine conversations with members of the executive branch, including the President.” Johnson said he needed the ability to have candid, confidential conversations in order to make an independent decision, yet he maintained that the entire process had been executed with “transparency.”

Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) maintained at the closure of the panel that Johnson’s altering of his decision after meeting with the President indicated that he was influenced by him, and moreover that “the President made this decision.”

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) discussed the health repercussions of the depleting ozone, saying that it is especially hard on asthmatic children. They said it results in more people staying home from school and work, and a higher mortality rate.