Vice President Al Gore said Wednesday tougher new air quality standards are the "most significant step in a generation" to protect Americans from air pollution and can be met without harming the economy.
The new air rules will throw hundreds of counties into violation of federal health standards, and critics say their cost - estimated at billions of dollars - could jeopardize economic growth.But Gore, at a White House ceremony marking the signing of the new regulations, said flexible implementation of the regulations over the next decade will accomplish the "twin goals of cleaner air and a stronger economy."
"These rules are the most significant steps in a generation to protect the American people, especially our children, from air pollution," said Gore. "It's time to bring air standards into the 1990s."
The federal health standards for smog-causing ozone had not been changed in 20 years, said EPA Administrator Carol Browner, who had championed the new air rules despite intense opposition from the business community and a growing numbers of lawmakers in Congress.
Browner, who was to officially sign the new rules later in the day, said the standards, which will require states and cities to develop tougher air pollution controls, will prevent 15,000 premature deaths.