A July 23, 2007 piece on tighter ozone restrictions notes the skepticism of ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan:
"At best it can be argued that the benefits of the new restrictions are unknown," says Dr. Elizabeth Whelan, president of the American Council on Science and Health. "But the costs of the draconian proposal are quite clear. ERA estimates, for example, range between $6.5 billion and $8.5 billion each year...The president's Council of Economic Advisers estimates that full attainment costs of the proposed new ozone standard would range from $12 billion to $60 billion. Another study concluded that the new standard would cost the city of Chicago alone from $2.5 billion to $7 billion annually."
According to Dr. Whelan, "The new standards will cost so much that they could actually worsen public health by lowering living standards and reducing access to health care. Among the known risk factors for asthma are several factors associated with poverty: exposure to cockroaches and other indoor allergens, limited access to health care, and prematurity."
