Ozone
10-08-07. GASP comments to the EPA regarding revisions to the ground-level ozone standards. (Adobe Acrobat required).
On October 19, 2001, the Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley ozone nonattainment area was redesignated to attainment of the 1-hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Subsequent to this re-classification, Group Against Smog and Pollution(GASP) and the Sierra Club filed suit against EPA’s action.
On January 22, 2003, the U.S. Department of Justice signed an agreement with the litigants, represented by EarthJustice which provided for a stronger 1-hour Ozone Maintenance Plan for the Pittsburgh area. Among other things, the settlement spoke to regulations targeted at reducing volatile organic compounds, VOCs, in paints and other coatings. VOCs contribute to ozone formation. Following the settlement, Pennsylvania adopted this regulation statewide, and on November 1, the U.S. EPA approved it - making it a federally enforceable requirement.
Including this provision in the above Settlement provided impetus at the state and federal level for adding an important VOC reduction regulation to the Pennsylvania State Implementation Plan (SIP)to achieve and maintain compliance with the one-hour ozone standard.
For more information, see EPA to review Pa. plan to cut paint emissions: Industry wants to prevent states from reducing smog that way (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 14, 2004).
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Ozone Stakeholder Working Group’s Final Recommendations