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  EPA Standards: Minimizing the Risk

  People, Air & Fire: The Burning Questions

  What should we all know about fire?

  Air Quality Timeline

The Nation's Clean Air Agency

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for the monitoring and improving our nation's ecological resources. It works with the public, businesses, and local governments to achieve and maintain healthy air quality. EPA programs for cleaner air range from research and regulation to enforcement and education.

Major Step Forward

America set new EPA standards for air quality in July, 1997. They were the first revisions in 20 years for ozone (smog) and the first in 10 years for particulate matter (soot). The updated standards, a major step forward in public health protection, protects more than 125 million Americans, including 35 million children, from the health hazards of air pollution.

Public Health Protection Each year, the new standards will prevent: 15,000 premature deaths 350,000 cases of aggravated asthma 1 million cases of significantly decreased lung function in children.