JUDGES PONDER POTENTIAL FEDERAL PLAN FOR PM CONTROL IN CALIFORNIA

Three federal appellate court judges are considering whether to direct EPA to draw up a federal implementation plan (FIP) for California's San Joaquin Valley to reduce particulate matter (PM), based on arguments by environmental attorneys that both EPA and the district have violated the Clean Air Act for years. A FIP for the area would be significant because it would take away flexibility local air district officials have to choose which rules to require over the next five years to...