The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is presently conducting a review of the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone. Sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (Act) govern the establishment and periodic review of the NAAQS. These standards are established for pollutants that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare, and whose presence in the ambient air results from numerous or diverse mobile or stationary sources. The NAAQS are to be based on air quality criteria, which are to accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge useful in indicating the kind and extent of identifiable effects on public health or welfare that may be expected from the presence of the pollutant in ambient air. The EPA Administrator is to promulgate and periodically review, at five-year intervals, primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) NAAQS for such pollutants. Based on periodic reviews of the air quality criteria and standards, the Administrator is to make revisions in the criteria and standards, and promulgate any new standards, as may be appropriate. The Act also requires that an independent scientific review committee advise the Administrator as part of this NAAQS review process, a function now performed by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC).

Project Officer: Travis Smith. "April 2011." "EPA-452/P-11-002."