SENATE PANEL PROBES CONTROVERSIAL EPA PARTICULATE MATTER PROPOSAL

A California senate panel is scrutinizing U.S. EPA's controversial proposal to drop a particulate matter (PM) standard for rural areas based on concerns that public health may be at risk. Meanwhile, EPA has scheduled a March 8 public hearing on the proposal in San Francisco. The intensified focus and criticism on the federal agency may lead to changes to the plan before it is finalized, some sources said. Last month's EPA proposal to rework its PM2.5 and PM10 standards drew...