Remembering that we all live downwind from something, it was encouraging to learn last week that the federal Environmental Protection Agency is issuing new pollution standards for power plants.

While much of the public discussion in recent months regarding electricity generation has focused on climate change and greenhouse gases, last week’s updated standards from the EPA target emissions from hundreds of older coal-fired power plants that cause smog, soot and acid rain. Reducing those emissions are predicted to result in 240 million Americans breathing cleaner air.

The new standards are scheduled to take effect in 2012 and impact 28 states, concentrated in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic region and the South.

The notion that downwind communities are affected by pollution coming out of smokestacks hundreds of miles away seems obvious and was confirmed when pollution readings in Western Pennsylvania were traced to power plants in Ohio and Indiana. Some of those same Midwest power plants have for decades been blamed for contributing to acid rain damage to lakes and streams in upstate New York, the Adirondack park in the northeastern part of the state, and across New England states.

The new regulations, officially known as the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, are a modification of rules created during the administration of George W. Bush but struck down by a federal judge in 2008.

Most coal-burning utilities object to the short time frame to install smokestack scrubbers or other equipment to meet the new standards.

While the timetable does look aggressive, it’s also true that many older coal-fired power plants skirted the intent of decades-old environmental laws requiring the addition of modern pollution control equipment, such as smokestack scrubbers, during plant upgrades by claiming that major plant projects were maintenance and not expansion projects.

A study, financed by the coal-fired power industry, claims the new regulations will cause electricity rates to rise by about 20 percent in some parts of the country and will cause thousands of workers at older plants to lose their jobs.

Those claims should be studied and considered, but the industry’s predictions are more dire than others’ views. Most industry analysts argue that relatively few coal-fired power plants are not already equipped with the proper equipment, so only the oldest and dirtiest plants would be faced with investing in upgrades or shutting down.

Looked at another way, the financial futures market in electricity suggests that investors do not anticipate a spike in electricity prices due to the new EPA standards.

If the generating capacity lost due to shuttering the oldest and dirtiest plants is replaced by cleaner-burning coal plants or natural gas-powered plants, the gains will outweigh the costs.

The EPA’s directive is an appropriate response to pollution that respects no state boundaries. For decades, New Jersey complained about pollution from power plants in Pennsylvania, and New England acid rain problems were traced to power plants in the Midwest. Some downwind states filed lawsuits against upwind states and their power plants, but the best solution to the problem is federal action by the EPA.

The tighter standards are years late in coming. But the cleaner air expected from the standards will improve the lives of those living downwind from older coal-fired power plants.

Technology to make the older coal-fired plants cleaner has existed for years. Some utilities were able to avoid making the investments to reduce their emissions. It’s time for that sort of runaround to end.