Super Eco

Photo credit: krayker, stock.xchng

Was it just last week we wondered if the EPA's effectiveness might be on the upswing? No need for the Ouija board, because more and more signs are pointing to "Yes." Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson announced yesterday that the EPA is reversing Bush-era changes to how science is used to set air pollution standards.

The EPA is required by the Clean Air Act to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for harmful pollutants using "best available science." The Bush administration sideswiped this process, eliminating independent assessments by scientific experts, suppressing recommendations from EPA scientists and instead injecting high-level political appointees into the process.

The new procedures will set the EPA back on track to deal with six key pollutants found nationwide: ozone, particle pollution (particulate matter), lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Jackson's procedural cleanup loops science back into the process at a much earlier point in air quality reviews.

• Reinstatement of a policy document containing EPA staff analyses of options for administrators to consider when setting air quality standards
• A public workshop early in the NAAQS review process
• Restructuring of science and risks documents to make them more concise and more tightly focused on key scientific and policy issues
• EPA staff consultations with scientific experts in other federal agencies that have responsibility for public health and environmental protection

“It’s essential that the best science and the greatest transparency inform air quality standards that prevent illness and save lives,” Jackson said. “These changes will help us bring a greater rigor and openness to our standard-setting process and improve the scientific basis for our standards.” We agree—kudos on this step back toward real oversight.