The Environmental Protection Agency's stricter new air pollution standards won't take effect for several years. But if they were law today, Augusta would flunk.

So would six Georgia counties that comply with the Clean Air Act, according to state regulators.

"If I had to make recommendations (for non-attainment) today, we'd be looking at -- in addition to Augusta -- Muscogee, Bibb, Clarke, Dawson, Murray and Chattooga," said Heather Abrams, the Air Protection Branch chief for Georgia's Environmental Protection Division.

The new EPA standard, unveiled in March, will lower the allowable concentration of ozone in the air to no more than 0.075 parts per million, compared with the old standard of 0.080. The pollution levels are measured in three-year averages.

"Based on the most recent figures, Augusta is just under the current standard," she said. "But for the new standard, they have quite a ways to go."

Ozone, or "smog," is the unhealthful pollutant spewed by vehicle exhaust and coal-fired power plants, and has been shown to cause or aggravate a host of respiratory ailments.

Although EPA's new ozone standards won't be enforced for several years, EPD will begin using the new measurements May 1 for issuing unhealthful air and smog alerts.

"Based on data from this year's season, if we were under the new system, we'd be issuing twice as many orange alerts, which means unhealthy air for the elderly, children or those with respiratory ailments or asthma," Ms. Abrams said.

The ozone season, which runs from May 1 through the end of October, determines whether an area is in compliance.

EPD will include this summer's pollution levels when it makes its recommendations for noncompliant areas in March 2009.

Although Augusta and six other areas are likely to face non-attainment recommendations, metro Atlanta counties already in non-attainment will remain in that status, she said.

"Unless something changes drastically this summer, I would suspect we'd have to make the recommendation for Augusta," Ms. Abrams said, adding that state regulators are working with the city to encourage pollution reduction steps, such as seasonal bans on outdoors burning.

If the EPA ultimately designates Augusta as a non-attainment area, it will trigger a series of restrictions involving industry and transportation improvements.