EPA proposes Baton Rouge area be designated compliant with ground-level ozone standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed that the area surrounding Baton Rouge, Louisiana, be designated as in compliance with federal health-based ozone standards, following three years of air quality data to that effect.
 
“The Baton Rouge area has met an important milestone in meeting air quality requirements for ozone,” Regional Administrator Ron Curry said. “By working hard and taking necessary emission-reduction measures, Baton Rouge is regaining its momentum to meet our health-based air quality goals.”
 
The designation would confirm that the area -- which includes Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston and West Baton Rouge -- has attained the 2008 standards following a request from the state of Louisiana. Those standards stipulate that areas should an eight-hour ozone level of 0.075 parts per million (ppm).
 
The agency’s proposal also includes approval for Louisiana’s plan to maintain the standard, which covers motor vehicle emissions budgets for chemicals that can help create ozone, like nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.
 
Ground-level ozone can impact public health and is particularly harmful to children, the elderly and those with lung diseases. It can also be detrimental to vegetation and ecosystems.

The proposal will be available for public comment for 30 days.