(Washington, D.C.-Nov. 9, 2005) As part of the nationwide effort to
improve air quality, EPA issued rules and guidance to state, local and
tribal governments on how to develop plans to reduce ozone pollution in
areas that do not meet EPA's health-based standards.

"This rule signifies EPA's commitment to working with communities to
develop cost effective plans," EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for
Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum said. "As our ozone rule and other clean
air rules take effect, Americans will be able to work, exercise and play
in cleaner, healthier air."

The Phase 2 Ozone Implementation Rule outlines emissions control and
planning requirements for states to address as they develop their plans
showing how they will reduce ozone pollution to meet the 8-hour ozone
standard.

The reduction of ozone pollution is an important element of EPA's
national clean air strategy. The strategy includes EPA's recent Clean
Diesel Program to reduce pollution from highway, nonroad and stationary
diesel engines, the Clean Air Interstate Rule to reduce pollution from
power plants in the eastern United States, and the Clean Air Visibility
Rule that cuts emissions to protect visibility in national parks,
wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas.

A recent EPA analysis of the benefits of meeting the 8-hour ozone
standards found that moving from 2000-2002 monitored ozone levels to
full attainment of the 8-hour standard would yield substantial health
benefits. This analysis indicates that attaining the 8-hour ozone
standard would each year avoid hundreds of premature deaths, thousands
of hospital admissions, hundreds of asthma emergency room visits, more
than one million restricted activity days, and more than 900,000 school
absences.

Ground-level ozone, a primary ingredient in smog, is formed when
volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides react chemically in the
presence of sunlight. Cars, trucks, power plants and industrial
facilities are primary sources of these emissions. Ozone is unhealthy
to breathe, especially for people with respiratory diseases and for
children and adults who are active outdoors.

The Phase 2 Rule requires states to demonstrate through modeling that
nonattainment areas will attain the 8-hour standard as expeditiously as
practicable. These demonstrations must include data on reasonably
available control measures and reasonably available control
technologies. The rule also outlines new source review requirements for
areas not meeting the 8-hour standard.

The Phase 2 rule also includes a requirement that certain areas now
using cleaner-burning reformulated gasoline (RFG) must continue to use
RFG until they meet the 8-hour standard and are designated as
attainment. In addition, areas that were previously reclassified as
"severe" for the 1-hour standard, and did not attain the 1-hour standard
before it was revoked, must continue to use reformulated gas at least
until they attain the 8-hour standard.

EPA finalized the Phase 1 ozone implementation rule on April 15, 2004.
The Phase 1 rule provided a process for classifying areas based on the
severity of their ozone problems and established deadlines for state and
local governments to reduce ozone levels. It also established a process
for transitioning from implementing the 1-hour standard for ozone to
implementing the more protective 8-hour ozone standard.

For more information on this action, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/ozonedesignations

Contact: John Millett, 202-564-4355 / millett.john@epa.gov

Source U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)