EPA Retains PM NAAQS, Prospects For Fast Biden Reversal Unclear

摘要

The Trump EPA has finalized its plan to retain the agency's suite of particulate matter (PM) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) without revision, prompting environmentalists to urge President-elect Joe Biden to reverse the decision after taking office even as the prospects for a quick reversal remain unclear. The final rule, released Dec. 7 ahead of its upcoming publication in the Federal Register, as expected retains several primary health-based limits established by the Obama administration in 2012: the annual fine particulate (PM2.5) NAAQS of 12 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3), the 24-hour PM2.5 limit of 35 ug/m3, and the 24-hour standard for larger coarse particles (PM10) of 150 ug/m3. EPA is also retaining the existing secondary environment-based standards for PM pollution that are identical to the primary limits for PM2.5 and PM10, except for the annual PM2.5 limit which is 15 ug/m3.