The Environmental Protection Agency proposed granting New Hampshire’s petition to withdraw from the Ozone Transport Region, a multi-state regulatory framework designed to reduce ground-level ozone pollution across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, on Aug. 6.
The EPA simultaneously proposed removing New Hampshire’s vehicle inspection and maintenance program, a significant deregulatory action that would eliminate emissions testing requirements for the state’s drivers.
New Hampshire’s withdrawal would be the first such exit in the Ozone Transport Region’s history. The OTR was established under the Clean Air Act to address interstate air pollution transport, recognizing that ozone-forming emissions generated in one state can degrade air quality in neighboring states.
The proposed action is open for public comment before becoming final. Environmental advocates are expected to challenge the proposal, arguing that ozone pollution crosses state borders and that one state’s withdrawal undermines the regional framework’s effectiveness.
Ground-level ozone, the primary component of smog, is linked to respiratory problems including asthma attacks and reduced lung function. The OTR framework has been credited with helping reduce ozone levels across the Northeast over the past three decades.
The proposal sets a precedent that other states in the region could seek to follow, potentially unraveling a pollution-control structure that has been in place for decades. States downwind of New Hampshire could experience increased ozone levels if the state’s emission controls are relaxed.