HEARINGS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE PARTICULATE MATTER AIR QUALITY STANDARDS

The Clean Air Task Force argues that the EPA's proposed particulate matter (PM2.5) standards fail to provide an adequate margin of safety, potentially resulting in 10,000 more avoidable deaths per year than a more stringent 12 ug/m3 annual standard. The testimony asserts that protective standards are achievable through affordable technologies, specifically targeting sulfur dioxide (SO2) from power plants and carbon emissions from diesel fleets. It criticizes the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) for providing reductions that are "too little, too late" and for creating regulatory barriers that discourage states from pursuing additional cost-effective power plant reductions. The document advocates for a national SO2 cap of 2 million tons per year and the full funding of the Diesel Emission Reduction Act of 2005 to facilitate the retrofit of existing diesel engines.

• The proposed EPA revisions to particulate matter standards are insufficient to protect public health, and tightening the annual and daily PM2.5 standards could prevent up to 10,000 additional deaths annually.
• Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from power plants and diesel engines is estimated to cause nearly 45,000 premature deaths in the U.S. each year, with approximately 2,500 of those deaths occurring in Ohio alone.
• The Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) is criticized for providing insufficient reductions to help states meet attainment deadlines and for discouraging states from seeking further cost-effective SO2 reductions from power plants.
• The most cost-effective strategies for reducing PM2.5 in residual nonattainment areas include tighter national or regional caps on power plant sulfur dioxide and the use of Diesel Particulate Filters combined with Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) for existing diesel fleets.
• The document argues that the benefits of steep PM2.5 reductions from power plants and diesel engines outweigh the costs by a ratio of 10:1.
• The Clean Air Task Force opposes efforts to lengthen the statutory timetable for revising National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or to remove the EPA Staff Paper from the deliberative process, arguing these changes would politicize science-driven policy.

APA

Schneider, C. G. (2006). HEARINGS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE PARTICULATE MATTER AIR QUALITY STANDARDS. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093319/20060713-PM2.5_CATF_EPW_Testimony.pdf

Chicago

Schneider, Conrad G. HEARINGS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE PARTICULATE MATTER AIR QUALITY STANDARDS. Clean Air Task Force, 2006. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093319/20060713-PM2.5_CATF_EPW_Testimony.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Schneider |first1=Conrad G. |title=HEARINGS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE PARTICULATE MATTER AIR QUALITY STANDARDS |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=13 July 2006 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093319/20060713-PM2.5_CATF_EPW_Testimony.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{schneider2006hearings, author = {Schneider, Conrad G.}, title = {{HEARINGS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE PARTICULATE MATTER AIR QUALITY STANDARDS}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2006}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093319/20060713-PM2.5_CATF_EPW_Testimony.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }