Washington, D.C. – In response to EPA proposing to slightly tighten only the annual Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standard (and not the daily standard), the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released a statement from Senior Director of Government Affairs and former EPA health scientist Matthew Davis:

“This draft rule misses the mark and does not adequately slash soot pollution, protect public health, or prevent premature deaths. We urge the Biden-Harris administration to follow the best science and longstanding legal foundation and finalize an annual standard of 8 micrograms per meter cubed (ug/m3) and a 24-hour standard of 25 ug/m3 to adequately safeguard public health and deliver on environmental justice. EPA has a massive opportunity to strengthen this standard and build a future with cleaner, healthier air for our children, especially for communities of color and low wealth communities disproportionately near polluting coal power plants, industrial facilities, truck depots, and freight corridors.

“Particulate matter, or soot pollution, primarily from burning coal and diesel fuel, cuts short the lives of over a hundred thousand people in the U.S. each year, disproportionately communities of color and low wealth communities, and damages children’s developing bodies in countless tragic ways. Our members and people around the country are counting on the EPA to deliver the maximum health benefits as we transition to a clean energy economy.”

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