Science and policy in setting national ambient air quality standards: Resolving the ozone enigma

Texas Law Review

Volumn 93, Issue 7, 2015, Pages 1783-1809

  McGarity, Thomas O ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SCHOOL OF LAW   (United States)

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EID: 84938528103     PISSN: 00404411     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (103)

1. 42 U. S. C. § 7408(a) (2012). This Article will focus exclusively on the primary NAAQS for ozone. Similar science-policy issues attend the EPA's promulgation and revision of the secondary NAAQS for ozone and the NAAQS for other criteria pollutants.
2. See also U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the Process for Setting National Ambient Air Quality Standards, at E-1 (2006) (referring to the EPA's science-assessment documents for NAAQS review as "[c]riteria [d]ocuments").
3. § 7409(b)(1).
4. Senate Comm. on Pub. Works, National Air Quality Standards Act of 1970, S. Rep. No. 91-1196, at 10 (1970). See also Am. Farm Bureau Fed'n v. EPA, 559 F. 3d 512, 524-25 (D. C. Cir. 2009) (per curiam).
5. (quoting Am. Lung Ass'n v. EPA, 134 F. 3d 388, 389 (D. C. Cir. 1998)) (discussing the legislatively imposed requirement that the EPA consider how the primary standard affects "sensitive citizens" in addition to "healthy individuals").
6. § 7409(d)(1).
7. § 7409(d)(2).
8. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Charter of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (2013).
9. 531 U. S. 457, 466 (2001).
10. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 62 Fed. Reg. 38, 856 (July 18, 1997) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pt. 50). The form for the standard was also changed to employ an eight-hour averaging period.
11. Am. Trucking Ass'ns, 531 U. S. at 486.
12. 42 U. S. C. § 7409(d)(1) (2012).
13. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants I-iii (2006).
14. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Responses to Significant Comments on the 2007 Proposed Rule on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone 97 (2008) [hereinafter Responses to Significant Comments].
15. Michelle L. Bell et al., Ozone and Short-Term Mortality in 95 US Urban Communities, 1987-2000, 292 JAMA 2372, 2376 (2004).
16. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Responses to Significant Comments on the 2007 Proposed Rule on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone 97 (2008) [hereinafter Responses to Significant Comments].
17. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information 11 (2007) [hereinafter Ozone Staff Paper]. The contents of the staff paper are now contained in a risk and exposure report and a policy assessment.
18. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information 11 (2007) [hereinafter Ozone Staff Paper]. The contents of the staff paper are now contained in a risk and exposure report and a policy assessment.
19. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Responses to Significant Comments on the 2007 Proposed Rule on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone 97 (2008) [hereinafter Responses to Significant Comments].
20. EPA Staff Narrows Recommendations For Ways to Tighten Ozone Standard, 37 Env't Rep. (BNA) 1502, 1502 (2006).
21. EPA Staff Narrows Recommendations For Ways to Tighten Ozone Standard, 37 Env't Rep. (BNA) 1502, 1502 (2006).
22. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information 11 (2007) [hereinafter Ozone Staff Paper]. The contents of the staff paper are now contained in a risk and exposure report and a policy assessment.
23. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. 37, 818, 37, 818 (July 11, 2007) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pt. 50).
24. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information 11 (2007) [hereinafter Ozone Staff Paper]. The contents of the staff paper are now contained in a risk and exposure report and a policy assessment.
25. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. at 37, 828.
26. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. at 37, 828.
27. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information 11 (2007) [hereinafter Ozone Staff Paper]. The contents of the staff paper are now contained in a risk and exposure report and a policy assessment.
28. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. at 37, 828.
29. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. at 37, 861.
30. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. at 37, 869.
31. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 73 Fed. Reg. 16, 436, 16, 436 (Mar. 27, 2008) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50, 58).
32. Andrew Childers, Lawsuit Alleges EPA Violated Air Act, Seeks Tougher Standards for Ozone, 39 Env't Rep. (BNA) 1046, 1046-47 (2008).
33. Steven D. Cook, EPA Asks Appeals Court for 180 Days to Review Ozone Air Quality Standard, 40 Env't Rep. (BNA) 533, 533 (2009).
34. Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d 1334, 1341 (D. C. Cir. 2013).
35. Andrew Childers, Researchers Find Ozone Exposure at Levels Below EPA Standards Reduces Lung Function, 40 Env't Rep. (BNA) 1817, 1817 (2009).
36. Andrew Childers, Study Links Low Levels of Ozone Exposure to Reduced Lung Function, Inflammation, 42 Env't Rep. (BNA) 53, 53-54 (2011).
37. Andrew Childers, EPA Review Plan Outlines Process Used to Reconsider Ozone Standards, 40 Env't Rep. (BNA) 2440, 2440 (2009).
38. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 75 Fed. Reg. 2938, 2943 (Jan. 19, 2010) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50, 58).
39. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. 37, 818, 37, 824-51 (July 11, 2007) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50).
40. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 75 Fed. Reg. at 2944, 2997.
41. Jessica Coomes, EPA Sends Reconsidered Ozone Standards to White House OMB for Regulatory Review, 42 Env't Rep. (BNA) 1569, 1569 (2011).
42. John M. Broder, Re-election Strategy is Tied to a Shift on Smog, N. Y. Times, Nov. 16, 2011, http://www. nytimes. com/2011/11/17/science/earth/policy-and-politics-collide-as-obama-enters-campaign-mode. html?pagewanted=all&pagewanted=print.
43. archived at http://perma. cc/CP3N-EU96.
44. Jessica Coomes, White House Chief of Staff Hears Arguments by Industry, Advocacy Groups on Ozone Rule, 42 Env't Rep. (BNA) 1919, 1919 (2011).
45. Am. Lung Ass'n v. EPA, No. 11-1396, slip-op at 2 (D. C. Cir. Feb. 17, 2012).
46. 744 F. 3d 1334 (D. C. Cir. 2013).
47. Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d at 1358.
48. (first alteration in original) (quoting National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 73 Fed. Reg. 16, 436, 16, 477 (Mar. 27, 2008) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50, 58)).
49. Nat'l Research Council of the Nat'l Acads., Science and Decisions: Advancing Risk Assessment 42 (2009).
50. Cary Coglianese & Gary E. Marchant, Shifting Sands: The Limits of Science in Setting Risk Standards, 152 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1255, 1279 (2004).
51. Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies.
52. Republication, 67 Fed. Reg. 8452, 8453 (Feb. 22, 2002) (providing guidelines from the Office of Management and Budget for agencies to review and substantiate the quality of information prior to dissemination, in order to comply with the Information Quality Act).
53. Thomas O. McGarity, On The Prospect of "Daubertizing" Judicial Review of Risk Assessment, Law & Contemp. Probs., Autumn 2003, at 155, 166-67.
54. Initial Brief for Respondent at 49, Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d 1334 (D. C. Cir. 2013) (No. 08-1200).
55. Joint Opening Brief of Petitioner State of Mississippi and Industry Petitioners at 54-57, Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d 1334 (D. C. Cir. 2013) (No. 08-1200).
56. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information 11 (2007) [hereinafter Ozone Staff Paper]. The contents of the staff paper are now contained in a risk and exposure report and a policy assessment.
57. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. 37, 818, 37, 881 (July 11, 2007) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pt. 50).
58. EPA's Proposal to Revise the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Hearing at Philadelphia, Pa., U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0172 (Aug. 30, 2007) (statement of Edison Elec. Inst.).
59. Initial Brief for Respondent at 85, Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d 1334 (D. C. Cir. 2013) (No. 08-1200).
60. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. at 37, 838.
61. Thomas O. McGarity, Substantive and Procedural Discretion in Administrative Resolution of Science Policy Questions: Regulating Carcinogens in EPA and OSHA, 67 Geo. L. J. 729, 741-47 (1979).
62. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information 11 (2007) [hereinafter Ozone Staff Paper]. The contents of the staff paper are now contained in a risk and exposure report and a policy assessment.
63. William C. Adams, Comparison of Chamber 6. 6-h Exposures to 0. 04-0. 08 PPM Ozone via Square-Wave and Triangular Profiles on Pulmonary Responses, 18 Inhalation Toxicology 127, 135 (2006).
64. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information 11 (2007) [hereinafter Ozone Staff Paper]. The contents of the staff paper are now contained in a risk and exposure report and a policy assessment.
65. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. at 37, 828.
66. Joint Opening Brief of Petitioner State of Mississippi and Industry Petitioners at 31, Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d 1334 (D. C. Cir. 2013) (No. 08-1200).
67. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 73 Fed. Reg. 16, 436, 16, 454 (Mar. 27, 2008) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50, 58).
68. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone: Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical Information 11 (2007) [hereinafter Ozone Staff Paper]. The contents of the staff paper are now contained in a risk and exposure report and a policy assessment.
69. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 73 Fed. Reg. at 16, 478.
70. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 75 Fed. Reg. 2938, 2993 (proposed Jan. 19, 2010) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50, 58).
71. U. S. Envtl. Prot. Agency, Responses to Significant Comments on the 2007 Proposed Rule on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone 97 (2008) [hereinafter Responses to Significant Comments].
72. Initial Brief for Respondent at 104, Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d 1334 (D. C. Cir. 2013) (No. 08-1200).
73. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 73 Fed. Reg. at 16, 481.
74. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 75 Fed. Reg. at 2993-94.
75. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 62 Fed. Reg. 38, 856, 38, 857 (July 18, 1997) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pt. 50).
76. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. 37, 818, 37, 820 (July 11, 2007) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pt. 50).
77. Proof Brief for Environmental Petitioners at 34, Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d 1334 (D. C. Cir. 2013) (No. 08-1200).
78. Initial Brief for Respondent at 105, Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d 1334 (D. C. Cir. 2013) (No. 08-1200).
79. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 73 Fed. Reg. 16, 436, 16, 483 (Mar. 27, 2008) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50, 58).
80. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 75 Fed. Reg. 2938, 2996 (Jan. 19, 2010) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50, 58).
81. Cary Coglianese & Gary E. Marchant, Shifting Sands: The Limits of Science in Setting Risk Standards, 152 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1255, 1279 (2004).
82. Whitman v. Am. Trucking Ass'ns, 531 U. S. 457, 490 (2001) (Breyer, J., concurring).
83. Cary Coglianese & Gary E. Marchant, Shifting Sands: The Limits of Science in Setting Risk Standards, 152 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1255, 1279 (2004).
84. Joseph M. Feller, Non-Threshold Pollutants and Air Quality Standards, 24 Envtl. L. 821, 823-24 (1994).
85. Am. Trucking Ass'ns, 531 U. S. at 465.
86. Joseph M. Feller, Non-Threshold Pollutants and Air Quality Standards, 24 Envtl. L. 821, 823-24 (1994).
87. Am. Trucking Ass'ns, 531 U. S. at 475.
88. (alteration in original) (quoting Mistretta v. United States, 488 U. S. 361, 417 (1989) (Scalia, J., dissenting)) (internal quotation marks omitted).
89. Thomas O. McGarity, The Clean Air Act at a Crossroads: Statutory Interpretation and Longstanding Administrative Practice in the Shadow of the Delegation Doctrine, 9 N. Y. U. Envtl. L. J. 1, 9-14 (2000).
90. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. 37, 818, 37, 824 (July 11, 2007) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pt. 50). The preamble for the 2010 notice of proposed rulemaking contains the same language. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 75 Fed. Reg. 2938, 2994-95 (proposed Jan. 19, 2010) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50, 58).
91. Mississippi v. EPA, 744 F. 3d 1334, 1358 (D. C. Cir. 2013).
92. quoting National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 73 Fed. Reg. 16, 436, 16, 477 (Mar. 27, 2008) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pts. 50, 58).
93. Cary Coglianese & Gary E. Marchant, Shifting Sands: The Limits of Science in Setting Risk Standards, 152 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1255, 1279 (2004).
94. Am. Trucking Ass'ns v. EPA, 283 F. 3d 355, 379-80 (D. C. Cir. 2002).
95. Am. Farm Bureau Fed'n v. EPA, 559 F. 3d 512, 527 (D. C. Cir. 2009).
96. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. 37, 818, 37, 879 (July 11, 2007) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pt. 50).
97. Whitman v. Am. Trucking Ass'ns, 531 U. S. 457, 496 (2001) (Breyer, J., concurring).
98. Cary Coglianese & Gary E. Marchant, Shifting Sands: The Limits of Science in Setting Risk Standards, 152 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1255, 1279 (2004).
99. Am. Trucking Ass'ns, 531 U. S. at 494 (Breyer, J., concurring).
100. quoting Am. Trucking Ass'ns v. EPA, 174 F. 3d 1027, 1037, 1038 n. 4 (D. C. Cir. 1999).
101. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone, 72 Fed. Reg. 37, 818, 37, 820 (July 11, 2007) (to be codified at 40 C. F. R. pt. 50).
102. Am. Trucking Ass'ns, 531 U. S. at 494-96 (Breyer, J., concurring).
103. Am. Trucking Ass'ns, 531 U. S. at 494 (Breyer, J., concurring).