Press Release

January 06, 2023

ELPC Welcomes Stronger EPA Soot Guidelines Proposal, Still Room for Improvement

“We continue to urge EPA to strengthen public health protections”

STATEMENT BY ANN JAWORSKI
STAFF ATTORNEY, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & POLICY CENTER

“Fine particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5) creates a huge public health burden, which is shared unequally. The Trump administration EPA’s 2020 decision to leave the particulate matter national ambient air quality standard unchanged was not supported by the science which continues to show health harms at levels below the existing standard.

“We welcome EPA’s proposal to protect public health with a stronger annual PM 2.5 standard. However, we are disappointed that EPA did not take the opportunity to set an even more protective standard, or to adjust the daily standard. We will review this proposal and urge EPA to finalize standards that will deliver better health outcomes for those living in communities burdened by air pollution, including sensitive individuals like children and the elderly. ELPC has called for an annual standard no higher than 8 µg/m3, and a daily standard no higher than 25 µg/m3. Both are supported by the science. We continue to urge EPA to strengthen public health protections by lowering the daily particulate matter standard.”