EPA's Revised Ozone Standard

On July 17, 1997, EPA announced new national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone, the primary constituent of smog. After a lengthy scientific review process, including extensive external scientific review, EPA determined that these changes were necessary to protect public health and the environment. EPA is phasing out and replacing the previous 1-hour primary ozone standard (health-based) with a new 8-hour standard to protect against longer exposure periods. EPA set the new 8-hour standard at 0.08 parts per million (ppm). EPA also defined the new standard as a "concentration-based" form, specifically the 3-year average of the annual 4th-highest daily maximum 8-hour ozone concentration.

EPA also replaced the previous secondary standard (to protect the environment, including agricultural crops, national parks, and forests) with a standard identical to the new primary standard. The 0.12 ppm 1-hour standard will not be revoked in a given area, until that area has achieved three consecutive years of air quality data meeting the 1-hour standard. The purpose of retaining the current 1-hour standard is to ensure a smooth, legal, and practical transition to the new standard.

Based on recent studies, the scientific review highlighted several health effects in which the previous ozone standard did not provide adequate protection. Exposure to ambient ozone concentrations has been linked to increased hospital admissions for respiratory ailments, such as asthma. Studies conducted in the norteastern United States and Canada show that ozone air pollution is associated with 10-20 percent of all summertime respiratory-related hospital admissions. Repeated exposure to ozone can make people more susceptible to respiratory infection, lung inflammation, and can aggravate preexisting respiratory diseases, such as asthma.

Children are most at risk to ozone exposure because they are active outside playing and exercising during the summertime when ozone levels are at their highest. For example, summer camp studies in the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada have reported significant reduction in lung function of children active outdoors. Adults who are outdoors and moderately active during the summer months, such as construction workers and other outdoor workers, are also among those most at risk. These individuals, as well as those with respiratory illnesses, such as asthma, can experience a reduction in lung function. They also can experience increased respiratory symptoms, such as chest pain and cough, when exposed to relatively low ozone levels during periods of moderate exertion. Long-term exposure to ozone can cause repeated inflammation of the lung structure, which can lead to premature aging of the lungs and/or chronic respiratory illnesses such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

The scientific review also highlighted concerns associated with ozone effects on vegetation, for which the previous ozone standard did not provide adequate protection. These concerns include reduction in agricultural and comercial forest yields, reduced growth and decreased survivability of tree seedlings, increased tree and plant susceptibility to disease, pests, and other environmental stresses, and potential long-term effects on forests and ecosystems.

Tables five and six, show 1996 and 1997 summaries of 8-hour ozone concentration information for New England. Unlike the 1-hour ozone statistics shown in the section on ambient air quality data, in both 1996 and 1997 all New England states recorded days above the new 8-hour ozone standard. The hot, dry summer of 1997 produced more days over the 8-hour standard then the coller wetter summer of 1996. In Connecticut in 1997, Madison reported the most days over the standard. Madison reported nineteen days over the standard and a maximum 8-hour average of 0.151 ppm. In 1996, Madison only had eight days over the standard with a maximum of 0.107 ppm ozone.

In 1997, Navy Road in Sagadahoc County ws the Maine site that had the most days over the standard with seven and a high day of 0.116 ppm. In 1996, this site reported four days over the standard with a maximum daily 8-hour value of 0.097 ppm ozone. In MA, Truro was the highest reporting station in 1996 and 1997. Truro reported seventeen days over the standard in 1997 and eight days over in 1996. In NH, Manchester reported three days above the standard in 1997 and four days in 1996. Vermont reported the fewest days above the standard, with the Bennington station reporting two days over the standard in 1997 and three in 1996.

Connecticut 1996
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
090010017442011 Greenwich Fairfield Greenwich Point Park 7 0.104 0.099
090010113442011 Bridgeport Fairfield Shed Congress Street 0 0.082 0.081
090011123442011 Danbury Fairfield Trailer, W. Connecticut State University 1 0.085 0.084
090013007442011 Stratford Fairfield USCG Ligthouse Prospect Street 9 0.107 0.097
090019003442011 Westport Fairfield Sherwood Island State Park 8 0.111 0.108
009031003442011 East Hartford Hartford McAuliffee Park 0 0.081 0.079
090050006442011 Torrington Litchfield University Road 4 0.096 0.096
090070007442011 Middletown Middlesex Conn. Valley Hosp. Shew Hall Eastern 5 0.096 0.092
090091123442011 New Haven New Haven 715 State Street 2 0.088 0.088
090093002442011 Madison New Haven Hammonasset State Park 8 0.107 0.103
090110008442011 Groton New London University of Connecticut, Avery Point 6 0.120 0.098
090131001442011 Stafford Tolland Route 190, Shenipsit State Forest 1 0.100 0.084
090158001442011 Abington Windham Ayers Road 3 0.098 0.091
Maine 1996
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
230052003442011 Cape Elizabeth Cumberland Two Lights State Park 3 0.092 0.090
230090101442011 Bar Harbor Hancock Acadia NP, MacFarland Hill 2 0.097 0.087
230090102442011 Bar Harbor Hancock Top of Cadillac Mountain 1 0.086 0.083
230112005442011 Gardiner Kennebec Pray Street School 1 0.087 0.081
230130004442012 Knox Port Clyde, Marshall Point Lighthouse 2 0.099 0.085
230173001442011 Oxford Route 5, North Lovell DOT 0 0.083 0.068
230194007442012 Penobscot Howland Seed Orchard 0 0.071 0.065
230194008442011 Penobscot Summit of Rider Bluff 0 0.073 0.072
230210002442011 Greenville Piscataquis Greenville Muni 0 0.071 0.064
230230003442011 Sagadahoc Navy Road 4 0.097 0.092
230252003442011 Skowhegan Somerset S.D. Warren Som 1 0.085 0.081
230312002442011 Kennebunkport York Ocean Ave/ Parsons Way 3 0.096 0.095
230313002442011 Kitery York Fresbee School, Goodsoe Road 0 0.084 0.081
Massachusetts 1996
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
250010002442011 Truro Barnstable Fox Bottom Area 8 0.110 0.106
250034002442011 Adams Berkshire Mt. Greylock Summit 2 0.096 0.085
250051001442011 Easton Bristol North Easton Po 1 0.085 0.078
250051002442011 Fairhaven Bristol Leroy Wool School 6 0.113 0.104
250051005442011 Easton Bristol 1 Borderland St. 3 0.094 0.087
250090005442011 Lawrence Essex High Street, Storrow Park 1 0.085 0.081
250092006442011 Lynn Essex 390 Parkland Ave. (Lynn Water Treatment) 2 0.091 0.085
250094004442011 Newbury Essex Sunset Boulevard 2 0.087 0.085
250130003442011 Agawam Hampden 152 South Westfield Street, Feeding Hills 2 0.087 0.085
250130008442011 Chicopee Hampden Anderson Road 3 0.094 0.094
250150103442011 Amherst Hampshire North Pleasant St. U. Mass Pathology Dept. 3 0.087 0.086
250154002442011 Ware Hampshire Quabbin Summit 4 0.095 0.093
250171801442011 Sudbury Middlesex Water Row Rd Great Meadows Nat. Wildlife 2 0.090 0.090
250174003442011 Waltham Middlesex Beaver Street 1 0.086 0.080
250232001442011 Scituate Plymouth Scituate Police Station First Parish Rd 0 0.073 0.067
250251003442011 Chelsea Suffolk Powder Horn Hill 0 0.075 0.073
250270015442011 Worcester Worcester Worcester Airport 0 0.080 0.078
New Hampshire 1996
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
330012003442011 Laconia Belknap Laconia Municipal 0 0.078 0.076
330031002442011 Conway Carroll Kankamaugus Highway 0 0.081 0.072
330050007442011 Keene Cheshire Railroad Street 1 0.090 0.084
330074001442011 Coos Mt. Washington 0 0.079 0.077
330090008442011 Haverhill Grafton Haverhill Armory 0 0.066 0.062
330098001442011 Grafton Hubbard Brook 1 0.086 0.066
330110016442011 Manchester Hillsborough Harnett Park, Municipal Parking Lot 3 0.092 0.088
330111010442011 Nashua Hillsborough Sanders Associates Parking Lot D 2 0.088 0.087
330130007442011 Concord Merrimack Storrs Street 2 0.088 0.086
330150009442011 Portsmouth Rockingham Vaughan Street 1 0.087 0.084
330150012442011 Rye Rockingham Rye Harbor State Park, Ocean blvd. Rte 1A 4 0.090 0.090
330173002442011 Rochester Stafford Rochester Hill 2 0.089 0.088
330190003442011 Claremont Sullivan South Street 1 0.086 0.083
Rhode Island 1996
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
440030002442011 Kent W. Alton Jones Campus, URI Parkerfield 4 0.101 0.087
440070012442011 Providence Providence Rockefeller Library, Prospect Street 1 0.085 0.070
440071010442011 East Providence Providence Francis School, 64 Bourne Ave 2 0.098 0.089
Vermont 1996
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
500030004442011 Bennington Bennington Airport Road 3 0.093 0.090
500070007442011 Chittenden Proctor Maple Research Farm 1 0.090 0.068
Connecticut 1997
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
090010017442011 Greenwich Fairfield Greenwich Point Park 13 0.138 0.118
090010113442011 Bridgeport Fairfield Shed Congress Street 6 0.101 0.097
090011123442011 Danbury Fairfield Trailer, W. Connecticut State University 14 0.112 0.107
090013007442011 Stratford Fairfield USCG Ligthouse Prospect Street 17 0.143 0.123
090019003442011 Westport Fairfield Sherwood Island State Park 15 0.141 0.118
009031003442011 East Hartford Hartford McAuliffee Park 7 0.137 0.124
090050006442011 Torrington Litchfield University Road 9 0.099 0.098
090070007442011 Middletown Middlesex Conn. Valley Hosp. Shew Hall Eastern 12 0.145 0.113
090091123442011 New Haven New Haven 715 State Street 7 0.102 0.099
090093002442011 Madison New Haven Hammonasset State Park 19 0.151 0.119
090110008442011 Groton New London University of Connecticut, Avery Point 18 0.153 0.125
090131001442011 Stafford Tolland Route 190, Shenipsit State Forest 10 0.142 0.128
Maine 1997
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
230052003442011 Cape Elizabeth Cumberland Two Lights State Park 6 0.118 0.117
230090101442011 Bar Harbor Hancock Acadia NP, MacFarland Hill 1 0.090 0.081
230090102442011 Bar Harbor Hancock Top of Cadillac Mountain 5 0.095 0.093
230112005442011 Gardiner Kennebec Pray Street School 2 0.097 0.092
230130004442012 Knox Port Clyde, Marshall Point Lighthouse 6 0.109 0.100
230173001442011 Oxford Route 5, North Lovell DOT 0 0.061 0.060
230194008442011 Penobscot Summit of Rider Bluff 0 0.084 0.077
230230003442011 Sagadahoc Navy Road 7 0.116 0.111
230310037442011 York Rt 4 So. Hollis 2 0.104 0.085
230312002442011 Kennebunkport York Ocean Ave/ Parsons Way 5 0.119 0.112
230313002442011 Kitery York Fresbee School, Goodsoe Road 7 0.112 0.104
Massachusetts 1997
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
250010002442011 Truro Barnstable Fox Bottom Area 17 0.110 0.106
250034002442011 Adams Berkshire Mt. Greylock Summit 1 0.090 0.084
250051002442011 Fairhaven Bristol Leroy Wool School 12 0.107 0.106
250051005442011 Easton Bristol 1 Borderland St. 7 0.096 0.095
250090005442011 Lawrence Essex High Street, Storrow Park 2 0.108 0.088
250092006442011 Lynn Essex 390 Parkland Ave. (Lynn Water Treatment) 6 0.104 0.096
250094004442011 Newbury Essex Sunset Boulevard 6 0.106 0.104
250130003442011 Agawam Hampden 152 South Westfield Street, Feeding Hills 9 0.097 0.094
250130008442011 Chicopee Hampden Anderson Road 7 0.104 0.097
250150103442011 Amherst Hampshire North Pleasant St. U. Mass Pathology Dept. 2 0.098 0.092
250154002442011 Ware Hampshire Quabbin Summit 9 0.119 0.117
250171801442011 Sudbury Middlesex Water Row Rd Great Meadows Nat. Wildlife 6 0.106 0.094
250174003442011 Waltham Middlesex Beaver Street 6 0.106 0.095
250232001442011 Scituate Plymouth Scituate Police Station First Parish Rd 1 0.088 0.080
250251003442011 Chelsea Suffolk Powder Horn Hill 2 0.086 0.085
250270015442011 Worcester Worcester Worcester Airport 5 0.097 0.095
New Hampshire 1997
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
330012003442011 Laconia Belknap Laconia Municipal 1 0.087 0.077
330031002442011 Conway Carroll Kankamaugus Highway 0 0.084 0.067
330050007442011 Keene Cheshire Railroad Street 1 0.099 0.079
330074001442011 Coos Mt. Washington 2 0.100 0.096
330090008442011 Haverhill Grafton Haverhill Armory 0 0.075 0.066
330110016442011 Manchester Hillsborough Harnett Park, Municipal Parking Lot 3 0.098 0.087
330111010442011 Nashua Hillsborough Sanders Associates Parking Lot D 4 0.107 0.102
330130007442011 Concord Merrimack Storrs Street 1 0.098 0.081
330150009442011 Portsmouth Rockingham Vaughan Street 5 0.107 0.094
330150012442011 Rye Rockingham Rye Harbor State Park, Ocean blvd. Rte 1A 9 0.121 0.110
330173002442011 Rochester Stafford Rochester Hill R 1 0.108 0.084
330190003442011 Claremont Sullivan South Street 1 0.088 0.076
Rhode Island 1997
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
440030002442011 Kent W. Alton Jones Campus, URI Parkerfield 10 0.106 0.100
440070012442011 Providence Providence Rockefeller Library, Prospect Street 4 0.097 0.092
440071010442011 East Providence Providence Francis School, 64 Bourne Ave 3 0.097 0.091
440090007442011 Narragansett Washington Tarwell Road 3 0.097 0.095
Vermont 1997
Montior Id City County Address Val>.085 Max1 Value Max2 Value
500030004442011 Bennington Bennington Airport Road 2 0.097 0.093
500070007442011 Chittenden Proctor Maple Research Farm 0 0.075 0.073


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Steven McDougall / swmcd@theworld.com / 1998 December 03