EPA Expands Program to Monitor Airborne Toxins

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EPA Expands Program to Monitor Airborne Toxins

EarthVision Reports

07/09/99

WASHINGTON - The U.S. EPA announced today that it will expand its work with

state and local governments to monitor hazardous chemicals in the air and

develop new plans to reduce toxic air pollution. The initiative, which began

under the 1990 Clean Air Act endeavors to curtail toxic air pollution in

urban areas. EPA Administrator Carol Browner told The Associated Press that

the expansion of the program will better help protect ``the millions of

people who live in areas where concentrations of toxic air pollutants are

too high. " According to the article, the EPA has identified 33 toxic air

pollutants, including benzene, mercury and PCBs, as presenting the greatest

threat to public health, that have been linked to cancer and other serious

health problems such as birth defects.

The EPA said in a statement that the new initiative should help reduce

cancer risks from toxic chemicals in the air by 75 percent. Furthermore,

according to the statement, the initiative should ``substantially reduce

noncancer risks, and address areas where low-income and minority communities

may be disproportionately affected.''

According to the AP article, the new strategy will target an additional 13

categories of industry for reductions in toxic chemical emissions over the

next five years. The article points out that the EPA has ordered reductions

in toxic releases from chemical plants, steel mills, refineries, and several

other industries under separate regulations since 1990.