Scientists recommend tighter smog rules |
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Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:39
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WASHINGTON (AFX) - Federal scientists want to tighten smog standards, a step that would allow tens of millions of Americans to breathe easier but also would clash with President Bush's plan to wean Americans away from gasoline.More than half the nation, or nearly 160 million people, breathe illegal levels of smog, mostly in and around major cities in California and the East.Scientists with the Environmental Protection Agency are due to recommend by Wednesday a range of options for healthier air. Last year, EPA identified hundreds of the nation's most populated counties that were polluting the air with too much smog, and ordered them to clean it up.What the scientists will recommend has stirred 'a great deal of controversy' within EPA and could complicate Bush's push for more ethanol use, said a senior government official speaking on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.In his State of the Union speech, Bush called on Americans to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent over 10 years by substituting alternative fuels, mainly smog-causing ethanol, in its place.Despite Bush's goal, the EPA scientists will recommend allowing less smog-causing ethanol. The smog is produced mainly when tailpipe and smokestack pollutants react with summer heat, the official said.Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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EPA wants tougher smog regulations 