EPA proposes a stricter 24-hour fine particle rule

EPA proposes a stricter 24-hour fine particle rule

Washington (Platts)--21Sep2006

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to finalize a 24-hour fine particle
standard at 35 micrograms per cubic meter -- down from the current level of 65
micrograms -- and retain the current annual standard at 15 micrograms per
cubic meter, according to a draft document from the agency.

The final rule, as noted in the "draft deliberative" obtained by Platts
Wednesday, reflects EPA's PM2.5 proposal of December 2005 that was published
in the Federal Register January 17, in keeping with the Clean Air Act's
National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

The draft document also said that EPA's final rule would retain its 24-hour
standard at 150 micrograms per cubic meter for coarse particles that can be
inhaled -- PM10 -- but would revoke its annual PM10 standard.

Concerning the final rules as presented in the draft document dated September
15, EPA press secretary Jennifer Wood said, "America's air is cleaner than it
was 30 years ago, and I fully expect the [EPA] administrator will make a
decision that will continue this progress. EPA looks forward to meeting our
September 27 deadline."

To meet the new 24-hour PM2.5 standard, states are expected to send a list to
EPA by November 2007 of areas within their borders that meet the standards and
those that violate them. By November 2009, EPA will designate non-attainment
areas and that label will take effect in April 2010, the draft document said.

State implementation plans on how these non-attainment areas would reduce air
pollution to meet the new PM standards would be due April 2013, and states
must meet the standards by April 2015, the draft said. States may seek an
extension until April 2020.

EPA, in the draft document, said it based its decision to tighten the 24-hour
PM2.5 standard on "an assessment of a significantly expanded body of
scientific information" that found strengthening the standard would better
protect public health.

But the electric utility industry said Wednesday that EPA would be "jumping
the gun" by not allowing the existing standards to be fully implemented and
their associated benefits to be weighed. The Edison Electric Institute said
states are just now working to achieve the PM2.5 standards imposed in 1997,
and utilities face further reductions in emissions under EPA's Clean Air
Interstate Rule in 2015.

Environmental groups, however, said the proposed standards were not strict
enough to protect the public health and were outside the recommendations of
the agency's own panel of scientific experts.

"This was a decision influenced by politics more than science," said Frank
O'Donnell, head of Clean Air Watch. "EPA took a dive despite recommendations
from its own independent science advisers and more than two dozen medical
groups led by the American Medical Association."

In March, EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee along with 15
technical experts asked EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to reconsider its
proposed PM2.5 annual standard. The panel of scientists had recommended that
the agency impose an annual fine particle standard between 13 and 14
micrograms per cubic meter.

While pleased that EPA had proposed a 24-hour PM2.5 standard within its
recommended range of 30 micrograms to 35 micrograms per cubic meter, the
committee told Johnson that the lower 24-hour standard alone "cannot be relied
on to provide protection against the adverse effects of higher annual average
concentrations."

-- Cathy Cash, cathy_cash@platts.com

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