EPA urged to toughen ozone rules

Public health professionals and environmentalists on Thursday urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen ozone-pollution-control standards in Southern California, saying it would dramatically reduce the death rate caused by smog. Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

At an EPA hearing in Los Angeles - one of five hearings scheduled nationwide to consider strengthening proposed air-quality standards for ozone pollution in smog - speakers said the higher standard would reduce the mortality rate from 14 to two people per 1 million residents.

"Here in California, we have eight of the 10 most ozone-polluted counties in the entire nation," said Jason Barbose, an advocate for Environment California.