Malloy to EPA: Delayed ozone standards hurts Connecticut economy

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of putting his state at an economic disadvantage by delaying the implementation of the designation phase for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

In a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Malloy stated that more than 90 percent of pollution within Connecticut originates from western, upwind states. He further claimed that if every power plant and factory within Connecticut stopped operations, the state”™s air quality would still exceed federal ozone standards due to pollution permeating from other states.

“The cost of removing additional pollution in Connecticut, where we already have stringent requirements in place, is estimated at $10,000 to $40,000 per ton,” Malloy wrote. “Compare this to the estimated cost of as little as $500 to $1,200 per ton it takes to remove pollution in upwind states, where even some basic control technologies have not been installed at various facilities.”

Malloy added that high ozone-related health risks have also been costly, with Connecticut incurring more than $135 million in acute care charges related to asthma.