EPA Ozone Map
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to review national air quality standards every five years and issue revised standards, if necessary, without regard to cost or the availability of effective emissions control technology. EPA proactively proposed new, more stringent ozone standards two years earlier than required by law that would, if put into effect, cost industry and local businesses as much as $52-$90 billion per year by 2020. Under EPA's most stringent proposal, 85 percent of U.S. counties monitored by EPA would likely be designated as "non-attainment" areas, subjecting those counties to more regulation, making it difficult to establish new industrial facilities or expand existing plants.
This interactive map illustrates how the proposed standards would affect states and counties across the U.S., particularly from an economic standpoint. Enacting these standards would essentially put up a “Not Open for Business” sign across the country and would significantly hinder new job growth. The map also includes a version of the SocialCapital™ widget for users to send messages to key executive leaders asking them to not pursue these new standards. Of note, President Obama requested that EPA Administrator Jackson withdraw the draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards in September 2011.
