EPA’s New Standards Will Likely Do More Harm Than Good

MAJOR POINTS FROM THE REASON INSTITUTE
on Ozone and Particulate Matter

Contact: Elizabeth Kelly Grace (703) 875-8650

The Reason Public Policy Institute released a major report on Monday May 12, 1997 which showed that the high costs and economic impact of EPA’s ozone and particulate matter standards will likely do more harm than good:

  • The true costs range between $90 and $150 billion dollars as compared to the EPA’s estimates of $6.5 – $8.5 billion. This would result in the average reductions in the real income per capita of $250 per year.
  • Up to 200,000 jobs will be lost with small businesses bearing the brunt of these losses.
  • The EPA has vastly inflated the health risk from particulate matter. In November 1996 they estimated 40,000 premature deaths. In December 1996 they estimated 20,000 deaths. They recently “refined” their numbers based on reanalysis by Dr. Kay Jones to 15,000 deaths. Dr. Jones announced Monday May 12th that the EPA made additional mistakes and the number is actually less than 1,000 deaths per year.
  • The EPA did not consider the health side-effects of reducing ozone levels which increases UV radiation. The side-effects will produce an additional 2,000 – 11,000 new cases of skin cancer per year and 13,000 – 28,000 new cases of cataracts.


The National Center for Public Policy Research is a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today’s public policy problems. We believe that the principles of a free market, individual liberty and personal responsibility provide the greatest hope for meeting the challenges facing America in the 21st century.