Seventeen AGs Challenged EPA Decision to Leave Inadequate Particulate Matter Air Quality Standards in Place

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra led a coalition of 17 attorneys general in filing a petition for review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to leave inadequate National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) in place, despite significant and growing evidence that the existing standards are insufficiently protective of public health. Particulate matter pollution is believed to be the most harmful environmental health risk factor in the United States, linked to an estimated 45,000 premature deaths annually, and disproportionately impacts lower-income communities and communities of color. The City of New York, the California Air Resources Board and the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment joined the AGs in filing the petition for review.