New EPA Air Quality Standards Would Benefit LA

Newly proposed EPA air quality standards will lower levels of nitrogen dioxide, a component of smog, and a contributor to respitory illness.

The major regulatory change will retain current annual limits of 53 parts per billion, which is already higher than California's state standard of 33 ppb. However, the regulations will also limit the concentration of NO2 in any one hour period to between 80 and 100 ppb -- for instance, during rush hour, when vehicle pollution is highest, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The regulations, if instituted, could improve air quality in poorer neighborhoods in South Los Angeles that are criss-crossed by highways.

One third of Californians either suffer from asthma, or have an immediate family member who does, according to a new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California.