CATF Statement on EPA Proposal on NAAQS

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) criticizes the EPA's proposal on National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter, stating it ignores scientific evidence that current standards are inadequate. CATF highlights that EPA career staff recommended a lower annual average standard of 8 µg/m³, yet political decision-makers maintained the 2012 standard of 12 µg/m³. The statement also condemns the EPA for rushing the proposal, reducing public comment opportunities, and disbanding an expert panel intended to assist the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC).

• The EPA's proposal maintains the 2012 annual average standard of 12 µg/m³ for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), despite EPA career staff recommending a standard as low as 8 µg/m³ based on evidence of severe health impacts at concentrations below the current limit.
• The EPA is accused of undermining the scientific integrity of the NAAQS review process by developing the policy position before the scientific assessment was finished and disbanding a panel of 28 experts who were meant to assist the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC).

APA

Hashimoto, H., & Ross, S. (2020). CATF Statement on EPA Proposal on NAAQS. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2020/04/catf-statement-on-epa-proposal-on-naaqs/

Chicago

Hashimoto, Hayden, and Stuart Ross. CATF Statement on EPA Proposal on NAAQS. Clean Air Task Force, 2020. https://www.catf.us/2020/04/catf-statement-on-epa-proposal-on-naaqs/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Hashimoto |first1=Hayden |last2=Ross |first2=Stuart |title=CATF Statement on EPA Proposal on NAAQS |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=14 April 2020 |url=https://www.catf.us/2020/04/catf-statement-on-epa-proposal-on-naaqs/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{hashimoto2020catf, author = {Hashimoto, Hayden and Ross, Stuart}, title = {{CATF Statement on EPA Proposal on NAAQS}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.catf.us/2020/04/catf-statement-on-epa-proposal-on-naaqs/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }