ZERO KILOMETER SABANG-INDONESIA
KILOMETER NOL SABANG-INDONESIA
ZERO KILOMETER REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA, SABANG-NAD
KILOMETER NOL REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA, SABANG-NAD
JAKARTA, MARCH 13, 2008
US tightens air quality standards
(RACHMAD YULIADI NASIR,rbacakoran at yahoo dot com)
INDEPENDENT-The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States has tightened air quality standards in an effort to help improve public health.
It is lowering the amount of smog-forming ozone permitted in the atmosphere for the first time in more than 10 years.
Health and environmental campaigners wanted more stringent limits but industry has lobbied against them.
Industry leaders say complying with the new standards will prove expensive.
Ozone can harm people's lungs and exposure can aggravate conditions such as asthma and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.
The new level is reduced from 80 parts per billion to 75 parts per billion.
However, the EPA's clean air scientific advisory committee had unanimously recommended setting a standard no higher than 70 parts per billion.
The committee had estimated that reducing smog to that level could prevent almost 4,000 premature deaths and about 7,000 hospital visits.
Cleaner air
EPA Administrator Stephen L Johnson said the agency was meeting requirements of the Clean Air Act by signing "the most stringent" ozone standard ever.
 |  This decision by the EPA to lower the ozone standard unnecessarily will impose significant new burdens on states and others  American Chemistry Council |
He said the act itself needed modernising and recommendations were being put to Congress.
But, he added, the nation would still benefit from the new standard even if they were strict.
"America's air is cleaner today than it was a generation ago," he said.
"By... strengthening the national standard for ozone, EPA is keeping our clean air progress moving forward."
The EPA said the cost of implementing the standards would range from $7.6bn to $8.5bn (£3.7bn to £4.1bn) but that would be outweighed by health benefits valued up to $19bn (£9.3bn).
It said those benefits included preventing cases of bronchitis, aggravated asthma, hospital and emergency room visits, non-fatal heart attacks and premature death, among others.
The BBC's Jonathan Beale says many scientists believe the new rules will not significantly reduce the dangers to public health caused by pollution.
Industry fears
US-based campaigners Clean Air Watch say the reduction does not go far enough.
"Unfortunately, real science appears to have been tainted by political science," said Clean Air Watch president Frank O'Donnell.
"The Bush Administration is compromising public health to save industry money."
Many in industry disagree and fear additional expense to meet standards.
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) said in a statement that there was "no clear and substantial basis" for tightening the standards, AFP reports.
"This decision by the EPA to lower the ozone standard unnecessarily will impose significant new burdens on states and others even as they continue to try and comply with the 1997 standard," the ACC said.
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Kilometer Nol
or Zero KilometerKilometer Zero Point lies at the westernmost end of Indonesia.
A monument has been erected here in the middle of a protected nature reserve. Its location is some 8 km from the tourist area of Iboih.
KILOMETER NOL SABANG-NAD
UJUNG PULAU, TERDAPAT KILOMETER NOL, BILA MENGGUNAKAN TEROPONG TERLIHAT JUGA PULAU RONDO DI KEJAUHAN GARIS PANTAI YANG INDAH.
RACHMAD YULIADI NASIR
Bank Muamalat Indonesia (BMI)Arthaloka : 913-22775-99
www.the-independent-news.blogspot.com
www.halamansatu.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=349&itemid=50
RACHMAD YULIADI NASIR
Bank Muamalat Indonesia (BMI)Arthaloka : 913-22775-99
www.the-independent-news.blogspot.com
www.halamansatu.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=349&itemid=50
