Blowing smoke. (Updates).Still reeling from the May court decision which overturned strict new air pollution rules (see "Bad Air Days," November/December 1999), the Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and (EPA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA abbr. eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, n.pr See acid, eicosapentaenoic. EPA, n. ) has now stepped back in the ring, ordering 392 power and industrial plants to cut emissions by nearly half. As a result of petitions from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Pennsylvania, facilities in 12 states and the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). must cut smog-causing nitrogen oxide Noun 1. nitrogen oxide - any of several oxides of nitrogen formed by the action of nitric acid on oxidizable materials; present in car exhausts pollutant - waste matter that contaminates the water or air or soil emissions that may ultimately cross state lines. Pennsylvania attributes at least one-third of its ground level ozone to dirty air floating in from states to the South and West. "By granting our petition, EPA again recognized that one state alone cannot solve the ozone-pollution problem," said Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge shortly after the decision. "Every state has to do its fair share." The action is expected to provide cleaner air for over 100 million people, reducing respiratory cases in children by 8,000 a year and lost work days due to respiratory symptoms by 160,000. CONTACT: Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, (919)541-3347, www.epa.gov/airlinks. |
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