Kenneth Green

The air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter do not need to be tightened, argues Kenneth Green in the following viewpoint. There is concern among scientists that the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommendations are based on flawed studies. Furthermore, Green asserts, the expected costs of implementing the new standards will exceed any benefits. Green is the director of environmental studies at the Reason Public Policy Institute, a libertarian organization in Los Angeles, California.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Green, how many counties are expected to be nonattainment areas if the proposed EPA regulations are passed?
2. What are the estimated costs of compliance with the new EPA standards according to the EPA and according to Alicia Munnell, as cited by the author?
3. Why are the proposed EPA standards unfair...