Ozone season is coming to a close, and the good news is Tulsa is below recently lowered EPA standards.
The federal agency lowered national ozone standards this week by less than expected, from 75 parts per billion to 70 rather than 65.
"The fact that EPA set it at 70 parts per billion is good news for us with our 68," said Nancy Graham, who oversees INCOG's air quality programs. "We do need to continue to be as vigilant as ever."
Ozone contributes to the formation of smog, which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including heart and lung disease.
Exceeding the standard can bring more consequences than federal fines.
"Businesses look at, 'Ooh, that place is on the dirty air list. I don't want to move into there,'" Graham said. "Of course, the stigma of being on the dirty air list and living in an area where the air's already been determined to be unhealthy is something we want to avoid as well."
The Tulsa area has had three good summers, which have helped drop Tulsa’s ozone level from around 80 parts per billion in 2013 to 68 this year. This year, Tulsa had one ozone alert day and one ozone exceedance day, which is when eight-hour averages are above the allowable level.
This week marked the third time the EPA has lowered the ozone standard.
