A federal plan to tighten ozone rules would more than quadruple the number of Florida counties in violation of air-quality standards and smother 47,769 jobs statewide, industry reports say.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed crackdown has drawn fire from business groups that say the new rules would burden industry and raise consumer costs across the country.
Currently, seven Florida counties exceed federal ozone levels. Under the tougher rules, 30 counties would be in violation. Critics of the proposal say 30 is a lowball number because additional counties, which do not now have air-monitoring devices, could be affected.
"The standard is so stringent that it is barely above background levels.As a result, in many places, nothing short of massive changes in energy use has a hope of bringing those areas into attainment," said Bill Bush of the American Petroleum Institute.
A recent MAPI/Manufacturers Alliance study estimated that the EPA's new standard for ozone -- 60 parts per billion vs. the current 75 ppb -- would cost Florida $5.8 billion annually from 2020-30 and kill 47,769 jobs in 2020.
Nationally, the compliance tab could run $90 billion a year, the EPA says.
The EPA standard is so strict that "controls on the larger sources of emissions and on highway vehicles wont do the job," Bush said."Smaller emission sources would likely have to be addressed, everything from gasoline-powered lawnmowers to corner bakeries."
EPA says its new standard could save as many as 12,000 lives per year and save the country as much as $100 billion annually by reducing health-care expenditures. The proposal is supported by the American Lung Association and the American Medical Association.
Kenneth Silverstein, author of a national energy newsletter, noted that the EPA is recommending a 20-year phase-in period, which will more easily amortize costs.
"The technologies to cut pollution keep getting better, and every time industry is pushed to perform better, it meets the challenges, albeit not without first complaining about it," Silverstein said.
"Certainly, regulators are aware of the expected costs, but the proposal would be phased in over 20 years," he said.
While projecting that up to half of Florida counties (38) could be affected, the state Department of Environmental Protection is not hitting the panic button ... yet.
"Programs currently in place will continue bringing ozone levels down," the DEP states on its website. "After EPA makes final designations, the DEP would have until December 2013 to submit its plan to EPA showing how it would bring designated areas into compliance."
Still, businesses are upset that the EPA is pushing ahead on an issue they thought was settled when the Bush administration tightened ozone standards in 2008. Typically, the agency waits for at least five years before revising standards.
Some industries have called the Obama administration's action "unnecessary and politicized."
"This would necessitate huge investments, hurting job growth and driving up prices," API's Bush declares.
Barney Bishop, chief executive officer and president of Associated Industries of Florida, called the EPA's move "a continuation of the Obama left-wing liberal agenda, doing everything they can to kill jobs."
Bishop also criticized Gov. Charlie Crist's administration "for not paying attention" to burdensome federal initiatives such as numeric nutrient water standards, which the EPA is also seeking to alter at the expense of Florida business and agriculture.
Silverstein suggested that Florida's utilities could be among the hardest hit by the ozone rules.Especially vulnerable are power concerns that rely heavily on coal, such as the Orlando Utilities Commission.As of now, so-called "clean coal" technology might not meet the EPA's revised standards.
Under the new rules, several of Florida's big East Coast counties could lose their bragging rights to clean air. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties clear the existing standards, but would be deemed violators if the EPA raises the bar.
Even small, remote counties, such as Holmes and Wakulla, would be out of compliance, based on their current levels.
The following counties exceed the current ozone standard (75 ppb):
Bay
Escambia
Hillsborough
Orange
Pasco
Santa Rosa
Sarasota
The following counties would be in violation of the new ozone standard (60-70 ppb):
Alachua 0.074
Baker 0.068
Bay 0.076
Brevard 0.071
Broward 0.069
Collier 0.07
Columbia 0.07
Duval 0.075
Escambia 0.079
Highlands 0.073
Hillsborough 0.081
Holmes 0.071
Lake 0.074
Lee 0.069
Leon 0.072
Manatee 0.07
Marion 0.072
Miami-Dade 0.074
Orange 0.076
Osceola 0.072
Palm Beach 0.068
Pasco 0.076
Pinellas 0.072
Polk 0.075
Santa Rosa 0.081
Sarasota 0.077
Seminole 0.072
St. Lucie 0.066
Volusia 0.067
Wakulla 0.072
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 802-5341.
