Current N0 2 standard deemed sufficient The national nitrogen dioxide (N0 2 ) ambient air quality standard is adequate and will not be revised, EPA said in an Oct. 11 proposal [Federal Register 1995, 60(196), 52874-89]. The current standard is below levels associated with chronic health problems, said Chebryll Edwards of the Office of Air Quality Standards. The available scientific evidence does not show any substantial improvement in the protection of atrisk groups by raising the standards, she said. Preteen children and people with respiratory diseases tend to be most sensitive to health effects caused by high N0 2 levels, according to Edwards. Although studies of children repeatedly exposed to concentrated indoor N0 2 show some harmful effects, EPA was unable to extrapolate for more diffuse outdoor exposures, she said. Nor could EPA determine whether harmful effects were caused by peak or long-term exposures. Because of the lack of data, the American Lung Association (ALA) will not challenge EPA's decision, said ALA's Ron White. However, he criticized EPA for not conducting research on health effects from outdoor exposures. Most of the United States has consistently been in attainment of the N 0 2 standard, and levels have been declining. Edwards said N 0 2 reductions will continue as other programs cutting particulate matter, ozone, and acid rain also reduce total N0 2 . White agreed, noting that revised ozone standards expected next year would also achieve N0 2 reductions by cutting NO x .
Final storm water permit rule issued An industrial permit plan that will relax storm water runoff monitoring requirements for many facilities has been finalized [Federal Register 1995, 60(189), 50803-1319]. EPA estimates that storm water is responsible for about 30% of the pollution entering U.S. waters. The permit will be used only for states in which EPA has permitting authority, but states that run their own programs are encouraged to use it as a model, said Michael Plehn of the Office of Wastewater Management. The new permitting scheme, called the multisector permit, allows a small
number of facilities to monitor storm water runoff for a larger group of similar facilities rather than requiring each facility to conduct its own monitoring. The permits allow further cost reduction by targeting only the pollutants that are likely to be present. The rule allows industrial facilities, divided into 29 sectors such as primary metals facilities or steam electric power generation facilities, to select 10% of the sector's facilities to monitor for pollutants, according to Plehn. The program seeks no reductions. "We don't have targets," Plehn said. "We don't require facilities to achieve any goals." Because storm water is sporadic and unpredictable, the emphasis will be on pollution prevention, he said. "What is missing in this is some incentive for [industries] to reduce the amount of chemical releases," observed Jeffrey Longsworth, an environmental attorney with the Washington, DC, law firm Collier, Shannon, Rill and Scott.
Government purchasing guide to green products Proposed general guidelines under which federal agencies would consider environmental factors when purchasing products and services were published by the Agency in September [Federal Register 1995, 60(189), 50721-35]. The guidance is the result of an Executive Order signed by President Clinton in 1993 concerning federal acquisition procedures. The guidance lists seven environmentally related principles that federal agencies should consider when making purchasing decisions, said Eun-Sook Goidel of the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. These principles include determining whether a product or service is necessary, considering environmental impacts and a product's life cycle, preferring products and services designed with environmental objectives, and checking manufacturers' environmental claims. The Agency also published a matrix guiding federal agencies in making trade-offs among the various impacts. The guidance will be followed by more detailed guidelines that address specific product categories, Goidel said. The specific guidance will be published after several pilot projects involving cleaning products, computers, and "green buildings" have been completed.
5 3 8 A • VOL. 29, NO. 12, 1995 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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