EPA toughens smog limits, but not enough for some advocates

Federal regulators imposed tougher limits on smog pollution Wednesday, but the Bush administration rejected pleas from independent scientists and children’s health experts for even more stringent standards.

New rules announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will tighten air quality standards set a decade ago, reflecting a growing amount of research indicating that smog poses greater health risks than previously thought.


The air in Chicago, which met federal smog standards for the first time last year, will fail again under the new limit.

Under the regulations outlined by top EPA officials, the allowable level of smog in the air will be 75 parts per billion, down from the current standard of 85 parts per billion but higher than 60 parts per billion recommended by pediatricians and environmental groups to protect children and the elderly.

“In the end it is a judgment. I followed my obligation. I followed the law. I adhered to the science,” EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said during a late afternoon conference call with reporters.

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