"A new rule would, for the first time in a decade, reduce emissions of soot that disproportionately harm communities of color."
"WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday proposed to tighten limits on fine particulate matter, a deadly air pollutant also known as soot.
It would be the first time in more than a decade that the federal government cracks down on a contaminant responsible for thousands of premature deaths every year.
Fine particulate matter comes from smokestacks, construction, trucks, power plants and other industrial activity. It has a diameter of no more than 2.5 micrometers, one-thirtieth the width of a human hair, and can become embedded in the lungs. It is linked to heart attacks, stroke and respiratory ailments.
The draft rule by the Environmental Protection Agency would tighten the current limit, which has been in place since 2012, by as much as 25 percent. The administration estimates that it could prevent as many as 4,200 premature deaths annually, as well as 270,000 missed workdays per year, and result in up to $43 billion in net health and economic benefits by 2032."
Coral Davenport reports for the New York Times January 6, 2023.
SEE ALSO:
"Battle Lines Drawn Around EPA Soot Proposal" (E&E News)
"EPA Moves To Toughen Standards for Deadly Soot Pollution" (AP)
"EPA Seeks Tighter Limits On Soot, One Of The Deadliest Air Pollutants" (Washington Post)
"Biden Administration Proposes Tighter Air Pollution Standard, In Reversal Of Trump" (The Hill)
"EPA Limits for Particulate Matter Standards Draw Criticism" (Bloomberg Environment)
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