新空气标准对环境与经济的影响

The US government is stepping up its campaign to clean up the air. It has just announced a regulation targeting a smog-causing pollutant that's been linked to asthma and heart disease. But businesses say the Environmental Protection Agency's proposal is bad for economy.

Just two weeks after reaching a record deal with China to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the US government has proposed a new environmental rule to reduce smog.

The US Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is recommending a lower limit on air pollutants known as ozone-a reduction between 13 and 20 percent.

EPA administrator, announcing the proposed changes on Wednesday:"EPA for 44 years has defended the American people's right to breathe clean air by setting the standards. That is our legal obligation and it's a It's a fundamental reason why EPA is functioning and making progress that we've made."

According to the American Lung Association, one in 10 Americans has lung disease such as asthma linked to smog conditions, which would could be reduced by the proposed changes.

The EPA estimates it could cost between four and 15 billion dollars in 11 years for industries to comply.

The National Association of Manufacturers says the proposals will cost millions of jobs and potentially billions in economic growth, calling the standards the most expensive regulations ever issued.

Public health advocates say technology will ease the burden of compliance pointing to inventions like the catalytic converter to reduce auto emissions and power plant pollution controls.

But industry groups say companies are still bearing the cost of stricter regulations enacted six years ago, and cautions that consumer costs will increase if the proposal goes through.

At this point, this is simply a proposal. It still has to go through a 90-day public comment period, which could influence the final rule. This isn’t a law, so the new Republican-dominated Congress has fewer options to block it-other than slashing funds for its implementation.