More than half of South Carolina’s counties, including Richland and Lexington, are in danger of falling out of compliance with tougher federal smog standards that could make it harder for industries to expand in the Palmetto State, regulators say.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules, which could take effect in the next two years, are intended to clean up the air by reducing ground-level ozone, a lung irritant and a key ingredient in smog. People with asthma and other breathing disorders are particularly vulnerable to ozone pollution.
But in a letter last month to state lawmakers, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said tighter ozone standards also would have economic consequences — unless the state takes action to clear up smoggy skies.
