EPA sets first new limit on sulfur dioxide in decades (since 1971)

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EPA sets first new limit on sulfur dioxide in decades

By Renee Schoof | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday set a new health standard that coal-fired power plants and other industries will have to meet on sulfur dioxide, a pollutant that triggers asthma attacks and causes other respiratory problems.

The EPA set the new standard within a range that an independent panel of scientists suggested. This marks the first time the standard has been changed since the original one was issued in 1971.

The new rule sets the amount at 75 parts per billion over a one-hour period, a level that's aimed at protecting people who go outdoors from short-term exposures. The EPA said that even brief exposure could create health problems, especially for children, people with asthma and older people.

The agency also changed its rules to require more monitors in areas that have the highest amounts of sulfur dioxide pollution.

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/06/03/95301/epa-sets-first-new-limit-on-sulfur.html