The South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Board (AQMD) urged the US EPA to significantly strengthen its proposal for new health standards for fine particulate pollution. At issue is the degree to which US EPA’s Proposed National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Particulate Matter will strengthen—and in some cases drop—health standards for particulates PM10, PM2.5 and PM10-2.5. (PM10 refers to particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter; PM2.5 to those smaller than 2.5 microns and PM10-2.5 to those in between 10 microns and 2.5 microns in size).
In related news, AQMD won a court battle over a refinery rule. The rule will reduce PM10 by an estimated 0.5 tons per day. It will also reduce 1.5 tons per day of ammonia, which if released in the atmosphere would react with other pollutants to form between 1.5 tons per day and 6 tons per day of PM10.