http://www.epa.gov/oar/primer/

The new standards will protect 125 million Americans, including 35 million children, and will prevent approximately 15,000 premature deaths every year, as well as avoid one million cases of significant lung function decrease in children and 350,000 cases of aggravated asthma

Basic Facts about the New Air Standards

What are the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)?

Since the Clean Air Act's inception in 1970, Congress has directed EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for the six most common air pollutants. The Clean Air Act requires these standards to be set at levels that protect public health with an adequate margin of safety and without consideration of cost. These standards serve two important purposes: first, they provide information to the American people about whether the air in their community is healthful; and second, they present state and local governments with the targets they must meet to achieve clean air.

What are ozone and particulate matter?

Ground level ozone is the prime ingredient of smog, the pollution that blankets many urban areas during the summer. When inhaled, even at low levels, ozone can cause respiratory problems and aggravated asthma in children, the elderly, those with respiratory disease, and even otherwise healthy adults who are working or exercising outside on a smoggy day. Children are most at risk from exposure to ozone because they are often active outside in summertime smog. Long-term exposures to ozone may lead to premature aging of the lungs and chronic respiratory illnesses. Ozone also harms the environment by damaging crops, harming sensitive waterways and reducing visibility. Ozone results from the combination in the atmosphere of other pollutants -- primarily volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides -- during warmer weather.