2015-12-16_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1981035 (2)

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BENEFITS AND COSTS • While the Clean Air Act prevents EPA from considering costs in setting or revising National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the Agency does analyze the benefits and costs of implementing standards as required by Executive Order 12866 and guidance from the White House Office of Management and Budget. • To estimate the benefits of meeting a standard, EPA uses peer-reviewed studies of air quality and health and welfare effects, sophisticated air quality models, and peer-reviewed studies of the dollar values of public health improvements. When fully met, the revised 24-hour PM2_5 standards are estimated to yield between $9 billion and $75 billion a year in health and visibility benefits in 2020. This estimate is based on the opinions of outside experts on PM and the risk of premature death, along with other benefits information. • Based on published scientific studies alone, EPA estimates that the most likely benefits of meeting the revised 24-hour PM 2.5 standards will range from $17 billion to $35 billion. • The benefits of meeting the revised 24-hour PM2.5 standards include the value of an estimated reduction in: 0 2,500 premature deaths in people with heart or lung disease. 0 2,600 cases of chronic bronchitis. 0 5,000 nonfatal heart attacks, 0 1,630 hospital admissions for cardiovascular or respiratory symptoms, 0 1,200 emergency room visits for asthma, 0 7,300 cases of acute bronchitis, 0 97,000 cases of upper and lower respiratory symptoms, 0 51,000 cases of aggravated asthma, 0 350,000 days when people miss work or school, and 0 2 million days when people must restrict their activities because of particle pollution - related symptoms. • As with any scientific analysis, actual results could be higher or lower. EPA will outline the uncertainties inherent in these estimates in a Regulatory Impact Analysis, which the Agency will issue shortly. • EPA estimates the cost of meeting the revised 24-hour PM 2.5 standards at $6 billion. • The benefits of meeting the revised 24-hour standards are in addition to the benefits of meeting the 1997 annual fine particles standards, which EPA has retained. • Based on recently updated estimates, meeting the annual standard will result in benefits ranging from $20 billion to $160 billion a year in 2015. These updated estimates include the opinion of outside experts on the risk of premature death, along with other benefits information. EPA estimates the cost of meeting the 1997 standards at $7 billion.