Peltier Re-Appointed to EPA Ozone Review Panel
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Professor of Environmental Health Sciences Richard Peltier has been re-appointed to the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Ozone Review Panel. CASAC provides independent advice to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator on the technical bases for EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Peltier, who was initially appointed to the panel in 2022, will serve on a team of 21 external experts who will provide independent advice to the EPA in setting standards. This role is to help EPA interpret the growing body of scientific evidence consistently shows how air pollutants, like ozone, affect human health and ecosystems.
“Everyone has the right to breathe clean, healthy air”, says Peltier. “Our mission as faculty members and as a university is rooted in a commitment to public service, advancing knowledge, and improving lives across the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world. Serving in this vital role allows us to provide the EPA with objective, science-based recommendations for pollution standards that protect public health. While the implementation of these recommendations is ultimately a policy decision, the importance of grounding such decisions in rigorous scientific evidence cannot be overstated.”
Established in 1977 under the Clean Air Act of 1977, CASAC addresses research related to air quality, sources of air pollution, and the strategies to attain and maintain air quality standards and to prevent significant deterioration of air quality. To fulfill that mandate, CASAC reviews criteria documents, science assessments, risk and exposure assessments, and policy-related assessments developed by EPA. Most preliminary work of the CASAC is done by ad hoc panels focused on specific criteria pollutants.
Peltier heads the Aerosol Lab at UMass Amherst, which investigates the chemical components of ambient particulate matter that have a significant effect on human health. His expertise is often sought by national media outlets, government agencies and NGOs. In addition to the EPA, he currently serves on similar science-focused panels for the World Health Organization.