What’s a Human Life Worth? The E.P.A. Says Zero Dollars. - The New York Times Highlight

A robust body of research has linked long-term exposure to both pollutants to premature death as well as asthma, dementia, and heart and lung disease. Even moderate exposure to PM2.5 can damage the lungs about as much as smoking, studies show.

But in a document posted online on Monday, the E.P.A. claimed that the economic benefits of reducing PM2.5 and ozone were too uncertain. The E.P.A. said that it would stop tabulating these benefits “until the agency is confident enough in the modeling to properly monetize those impacts.”