The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has missed the statutory deadline to report to the American people which U.S. counties exceed the national health standard for ground-level ozone, or smog.
On Oct. 1, 2015, EPA strengthened its smog standard, reducing the acceptable limit from 75 parts per billion to 70 ppb to better protect Americans, especially children, senior citizens and anyone who works or exercises outdoors, from the harmful effects of smog pollution. The Clean Air Act gives the agency two years to announce which areas of the country have unsafe smog levels of 70 ppb or higher.