federal_register: 96-30897
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| document_number | title | type | abstract | publication_date | pub_year | pub_month | html_url | pdf_url | agency_names | agency_ids | excerpts |
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| 96-30897 | National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter: Proposed Decision | Proposed Rule | In accordance with sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (Act), EPA has reviewed the air quality criteria and national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) and for ozone (O<INF>3). Based on these reviews, EPA proposes to change the standards for both classes of pollutants. This document describes EPA's proposed changes with respect to the NAAQS for PM. The EPA's proposed actions with respect to O<INF>3 are being proposed elsewhere in today's Federal Register. With respect to PM, EPA proposes to revise the current primary PM<INF>10 standards by adding two new primary PM<INF>2.5 standards set at 15 <greek-m>g/m\3\, annual mean, and 50 <greek-m>g/m\3\, 24-hour average, to provide increased protection against a wide range of PM- related health effects, including premature mortality and increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits (primarily in the elderly and individuals with cardiopulmonary disease); increased respiratory symptoms and disease (in children and individuals with cardiopulmonary disease such as asthma); decreased lung function (particularly in children and individuals with asthma); and alterations in lung tissue and structure and in respiratory tract defense mechanisms. The proposed annual PM<INF>2.5 standard would be based on the 3-year average of the annual arithmetic mean PM<INF>2.5 concentrations, spatially averaged across an area. The proposed 24-hour PM<INF>2.5 standard would be based on the 3-year average of the 98th percentile of 24-hour PM<INF>2.5 concentrations at each monitor within an area. The EPA also solicits comment on two alternative approaches for selecting the levels of PM<INF>2.5 standards. The EPA proposes to revise the current 24-hour primary PM<INF>10 standard of 150 <greek-m>g/m\3\ by replacing the 1- expected-exceedance form with a 98th percentile form, averaged over 3 years at each monitor within an area, and solicits comment on an alternative proposal to revoke the 24-hour PM<INF>10 standard. The EPA also proposes to retain the current annual primary PM<INF>10 standard of 50 <greek-m>g/m\3\. Further, EPA proposes new data handling conventions for calculating 98th percentile values and spatial averages (Appendix K), proposes to revise the reference method for monitoring PM as PM<INF>10 (Appendix J), and proposes a new reference method for monitoring PM as PM<INF>2.5 (Appendix L). The EPA proposes to revise the current secondary standards by making them identical to the suite of proposed primary standards. In the Administrator's judgment, these standards, in conjunction with the establishment of a regional haze program under section 169A of the Act, would provide appropriate protection against PM-related public welfare effects including soiling, material damage, and visibility impairment. | 1996-12-13 | 1996 | 12 | https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1996/12/13/96-30897/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-for-particulate-matter-proposed-decision | https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1996-12-13/pdf/96-30897.pdf | Environmental Protection Agency | 145 | In accordance with sections 108 and 109 of the Clean Air Act (Act), EPA has reviewed the air quality criteria and national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) and for ozone (O<INF>3). Based on these reviews, EPA proposes... |