What's New

On September 21 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized new national air quality standards for particle “soot” pollution that ignored the overwhelming medical and scientific consensus that the standards needed to be substantially strengthened to protect Americans’ public health.

Brief Summary

Particle pollution is made up of tiny particles, called "fine" particles, and slightly larger ones, called "coarse" particles, that are both dangerous and pervasive.  Because of their size, these particles can bypass the body's natural defenses, such as coughing and sneezing, and lodge deep within the lungs or even pass into the bloodstream, causing serious respiratory and cardiovascular problems, such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, and lung cancer.  In fact, particle pollution is so dangerous that it cuts short the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year.  Power plants and diesel engines are the largest source of particle pollution.  In some parts of the country, agriculture and mining contribute to serious local particle pollution.

Under the Clean Air Act, the administration must set air quality standards at levels that protect public health and review these standards every five years, and update them as needed.  There are two standards for fine particle pollution: an "annual" standard based on how much fine particle pollution is safe to breathe on a regular, everyday basis and a "24-hour" standard based on how much fine particle pollution is safe to breathe on any one day.

In the last several years, study after study has confirmed the damaging health effects of particles, even at levels well below the current annual and 24-hour standards.  In 2005, both the administration's independent science advisors on clean air issues and the EPA's staff scientists concluded that adverse health effects occur at levels well below the current fine particle standards.  As a result, they recommended that the administration strengthen the standards to protect public health.

In December, however, the Bush administration rejected these recommendations and proposed fine particle standards that would largely maintain the status quo, as requested by electric utility lobbyists and other special interests.  Specifically, the administration rejected lowering the annual standard and proposed only a token reduction in the daily standard that will have little impact on public health.  It is unprecedented for an administration to disregard the recommendations of its independent clean air science advisors.

Air quality standards are the foundation for reducing air pollution nationwide, so the decision on the fine particle standards is one of the most important decisions this administration will make on air pollution.  Yet, once again, the Bush administration has chosen to favor polluters over public health and to put politics above science and the law.

In September 2006, however, the Bush administration rejected these recommendations and finalized standards that will largely maintain the status quo, as requested by electric utility lobbyists and other special interests.  It is unprecedented for an administration to disregard the recommendations of its independent clean air science advisors.

Environment California, the American Lung Association, and numerous medical and public health groups had urged EPA to adopt an annual standard of 12 µg/m3 and a daily standard of 25 µg/m3.  Instead, the administration rejected lowering the annual standard of 15 µg/m3 and made only a token reduction in the daily standard – lowering it to 35 µg/m3 – which will have little improvement on public health.