On February 15th in San Francisco, California, the Center for Biological Diversity agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding dangerous micro pollutants, or particulate matter. Particulate matter (PM-10) are microscopic polluting particles that, when inhaled, can pose serious threats to your body such as premature death and respiratory illnesses. Particulate matter is caused mainly by car exhaust, toxic emissions from smokestacks and chemical plants, etc. Sounds fun, doesn't it? It turns out that the EPA has been AWOL in their duties to keep up necessary evaluations and tests to make sure these dangerous pollutants aren't swimming around in our air. The CBD's settlement states that the EPA must evaluate areas in Arizona, Alaska, Montana and Nevada to make sure that the air quality is clean and in accordance with the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act mandates that the EPA take action and make plans to control PM-10 with the said states if they aren't up to chalk. The Center's new settlement will thankfully help to make sure the EPA does their job right in maintaining the Clean Air Act and upholding their duties.
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