Conservation voters critical of opposition to ozone standards

The League of Conservation Voters Ohio Policy Director Beth Nagusky released a statement Monday condemning attacks on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed ozone standards updates.

“Dirty energy corporations and their allies are once again trying to undermine clean air by making the false accusation that the EPA’s stronger ozone standards are bad news for Ohio,” Nagusky said. “These doomsday claims are straight out of the same tired and failed playbook polluters use every time the EPA undertakes clean air protections.”

The proposed regulations have been criticized by some industry groups and legislatures as being bad for business and for lowering the acceptable ozone levels before areas of some states have reached compliance with the current levels.

“Time and again these claims have been proven false,” Nagusky said. “Ozone pollution, more commonly known as smog, is dangerous to our health and poses a particular threat to children, the elderly and those with respiratory ailments. Ohioans would benefit from strong ozone standards and our state would be even better positioned to meet these health protections if we lifted the freeze on Ohio’s clean energy standards."