Air Pollution Cuts Due To COVID-19 Might Ease States' NAAQS Attainment

摘要

Massive cuts in air pollution as a result of sweeping restrictions on travel and economic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic might temporarily ease states' attempts to attain federal ambient air limits, Northeastern air officials say, but there are also serious doubts about the legitimacy of air quality readings gathered during the virus crisis. As a result of mandates in many countries for the public to stay at home and curb outside activities, air quality researchers are seeing steep cuts in air pollution around the world, including the United States, said the officials during a March 30 teleconference hosted by the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) of 12 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. They debated what the reductions mean for states that have struggled to meet EPA's air standards. OTC member states have long urged EPA to issue new rules curbing interstate transport of air pollution that they say are vital to bring the states' pollution levels down to below those in the agency's national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone and particulate matter (PM).