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EPA RELEASES AIR TOXIC CONCENTRATION DATA
Release Date: 08/17/2000
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2000
EPA RELEASES AIR TOXIC CONCENTRATION DATA
EPA today posted information on the Internet estimating outdoor concentrations of 32 air toxics nationwide. Air toxics are those pollutants known or suspected of causing cancer or other serious health problems, such as birth defects. Today’s posting represents the first phase of EPA’s National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment, a detailed look at 32 common air toxics identified as posing the greatest potential risks to public health in urban areas. The information released today does not estimate human exposure or health risks -- EPA is developing those estimates for release in early 2001. This first phase of the assessment includes estimated emissions from industries and other facilities in 1996 (the most complete and up-to-date information available) and estimated concentrations in the outdoor air. In the next phase of the assessment, EPA will develop estimates of the amount of toxics people breathe and the resultant health risk. EPA will submit these estimates to scientific peer review late this year. The assessment is different from EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), a program comprising annual industry-generated estimates of air, water and waste emissions. For example, today’s assessment includes data on toxic air emissions from on-road vehicles, which the TRI does not. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 require EPA to regulate toxic air pollution by industry. To date, the Agency has issued 46 regulations for 82 different types of major industrial sources, such as chemical plants, oil refineries, aerospace manufacturers and steel mills. EPA expects these standards, combined with its rules for smaller industries, to reduce yearly emissions of air toxics by 1.5 million tons from 1990 levels. In addition, EPA has issued a suite of motor vehicle and fuels regulations, including tailpipe emission standards for cars, SUVs, mini-vans, pickup and heavy trucks and buses; standards for cleaner-burning gasoline; a national low-emission vehicle program; and the recently proposed standards for low-sulfur diesel fuel. These requirements are expected to reduce, by the year 2020, emissions of a number of air toxics from on-road motor vehicles by at least 75 percent from 1990 levels. EPA plans to update the assessment every three years to help measure the nation’s progress in reducing public health risk from air toxics. The information posted today is available at: https://www.epa.gov/ttn/uatw/nata . For further technical information, call Jeff Clark of EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards at 919-541-5557, or e-mail him at clark.jeffrey@epa.gov.R-124 ###
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