Week 5 at the EPA: The Good and the Bad of Ozone
Hello! It was an eventful week here at EPA, filled with lots of meetings, mentoring sessions, and a news headline. I’ll start with the headline. Bill Wehrum, Assistant Administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), resigned this week, meaning that I will be getting a new boss. Anne Idsal, who served as Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator of OAR, is expected to replace him. The Assistant Administrator is head of OAR and considered EPA’s top air policy chief, overseeing the various Offices within OAR including mine, OAQPS. A Dr. Jacobson-approved organizational chart can be found here.
Bill Wehrum, former Assistant Administrator of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation
Many of the meetings I attended this week dealt with ozone issues. Ozone (O3) is a gas that can be found up in the stratosphere or closer to us at ground level. Stratospheric ozone is good; it provides a shield-like layer that protects us from the sun’s harmful rays. You may recall hearing about an “ozone hole,” which is in reference to part of the stratospheric ozone layer being depleted and exposing parts of the world to ultraviolet radiation.
Ground level ozone on the other hand is bad. Ground level ozone is produced when man-made emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react with heat and sunlight. It is commonly identified as the main component of smog. Ground level ozone can be harmful to our health, causing respiratory problems, reduced lung function and damaged lung tissue. It also can harm crops, vegetation, and sensitive ecosystems. Over the weekend, you may have seen an air quality alert for Chapel Hill. That alert was about excess concentrations of ground level ozone! So, as a recap, stratospheric ozone=good, ground level ozone=bad.
Ozone is one of the 6 criteria pollutants regulated according to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The others are carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. The EPA is granted authority under the CAA to establish standards for these pollutants to protect human and environmental health. My team within OAQPS helps to review the ozone NAAQS and makes sure that states are meeting the standards.
Another exciting aspect of this week was the “Flash Mentoring” session that was hosted for the interns at OAQPS. Staff from the various divisions within OAQPS sat down with us in a speed dating-style format to offer professional guidance and career advice. Networking is something that I have struggled with in the past, but opportunities like this (as well as the fabulous MPA program) have helped to build my confidence and improve my networking skills. The event also provided an informal setting for me to get to know my coworkers on a more personal level and learn about their backgrounds and goals.
Thanks for reading!
Sydney
