EPA Plans To Retain PM NAAQS, Ignoring Staff Call For Stricter Standard

EPA is planning to issue a proposal to retain the agency’s suite of existing national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and larger “coarse” particles (PM10), ignoring a call from agency staff to tighten the annual health-based PM2.5 limit to adequately protect human health, an informed source says. While the development comes as little surprise because of the Trump EPA’s overall deregulatory agenda, it confirms the views of some agency critics who say that the Trump...