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l~ <br />Asthmatics and other individuals with respiratory disease are especially at risk from <br />elevated ozone concentrations. Asthmatics aze more severely affected by the reduced lung <br />function and irritation that ozone causes in the respiratory system, Ozone may also contribute to <br />the development of asthma. <br />All children aze at risk from ozone exposure because they often spend a large part of the <br />summer playing outdoors, their lungs are still developing, they breathe mare air per pound of <br />body weight, and they are less likely to notice symptoms. Children and adults who frequently <br />exercise outdoors are particulazly vulnerable to ozone's negative health effects, because they <br />may be repeatedly exposed to elevated ozone concentrations while breathing at an increased <br />respiratory rate. <br />Numerous sttrdies have found correlation between elevated ground-level ozone <br />concentrations and increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits for respiratory <br />symptoms. These health effects are associated with increased monetary and societal costs: <br />Ozone's adverse health effects also result in missed school days and last productivity, as parents <br />take time from work to caze for children with respiratory problems. <br />Nonattainment Designation and Regulatory Schedule <br />When an area in North Cazolina is designated nonattainment, the NCDAQ must submit a <br />State Implementation Plan (SIP) to the EPA, describing how pollution will be reduced to levels <br />meeting the standazd. The SIP must include specific control measures for pollutant sources, and <br />DAQ must demonstrate, through computer modeling results, the reductions expected from each <br />control measure. The SIP is usually due to EPA three years after the date of nonattainmeat <br />designation, <br />For 8-hour ozone nonattainment, EPA requires that three regulatory measures be <br />implemented in addition to those control measures included in the SIP: transportation <br />conformity, general conformity, and new source review. Under transportation confornty, <br />transportation planning agencies must demonstrate that planned road infrastructure expansion <br />(new roads, road widening, etc.) will not result in vehicle NOx emissions over the level allowed <br />by the SIP. If this cannot be shown, the azea loses federal highway construction funds. The <br />general purpose of transportation conformity is to ensure that federal funds do not contribute to <br />degraded air quality in a nonattainment azea. Under general conformity, other emission sources <br />using federal funds or requiring a federal action such as approval of a permit, e.g, airports, must <br />demonstrate that modifications will not result in emissions exceeding the SIP budget. <br />Under new source review, any new emitting industry wishing to locate within the <br />nonattainment azea, or any existing industry wishing to expand its operation, faces stringent <br />permit requirements, Because new paint sources and major expansion projects at existing <br />sources cannot increase emissions in the nonattainment area, new or expanding industry will <br />need to purchase emissions credits from other industry in the azea. The practical implication of <br />this measure is that many industries will not locate within a nonattainment azea because the new <br />source review requirements increase the cost of doing business when compazed to an attainment <br />azea, <br />