The Biden administration has aimed to restrict the level of fine particulate emissions, a deadly air pollutant that includes dust. This would be the first time in more than a decade that the federal government has taken action against a substance responsible for thousands of premature deaths each year.
Fine particles come from chimneys, construction, trucks, thermal plants and other industrial activities. They are a maximum of 2.5 micrometers in diameter, one-thirtieth the thickness of a human hair, and can reach the lungs. It causes heart attacks, strokes and respiratory ailments. The Environmental Protection Agency's proposed regulations would drop the current limit, which has been in place since 2012, by up to 25 percent.
The administration estimates it could prevent up to 4,200 premature deaths annually, as well as 270,000 lost work days annually, and have net health and economic benefits of up to $43 billion by 2032. Agency Administrator Michael Regan for Environmental Protection said the new rule is central to the Biden administration's effort to address environmental justice.
Source: New York Times