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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Samuel Dorevitch, MD, MPH, Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics; Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 W. Taylor, M/C 923, Chicago, IL 60612, (312) 355-3629, sdorevit@uic.edu

Background: Studies of the sources, distribution, measurement and health effects of air pollution are to be the basis for establishing air quality standards. This standard setting process is meant to take into account public health and welfare concerns, not economic considerations. Methods: The process of standard setting established by the Clean Air Act is reviewed. Using two policy issues as examples, the recently proposed PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standard and New Source Review, the contrasts between recommendations by scientists and policies proposed by the EPA are highlighted. Results/Conclusions: The Clean Air Act places considerable value on scientific considerations in developing policies that have substantial impacts on public health. Through the development of criteria documents, staff papers, and the review by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Board, the state of the science is compiled, analyzed, summarized, and used to develop changes to air quality standards. Though the courts have often ruled in favor of science-based EPA positions, the EPA's appointed administrator has latitude in promulgating policies that conflict with scientific recommendations. The continued operation of old coal-fired power plants under New Source Review and the proposed revisions to the PM2.5 standard suggest that economic considerations may direct policy away from the EPA's own science-based recommendations.

Learning Objectives: