Public Hearing for the Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that a virtual public hearing will be held for the proposed action titled, "Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter," which was signed on January 5, 2023. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, and Wednesday, February 22, 2023. Based on the EPA's reconsideration of the air quality criteria and the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM), the EPA proposes to revise the primary annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> standard by lowering the level. The Agency proposes to retain the current primary 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> standard and the primary 24-hour PM<INF>10</INF> standard. The Agency also proposes not to change the secondary 24-hour PM<INF>2.5</INF> standard, secondary annual PM<INF>2.5</INF> standard, and secondary 24-hour PM<INF>10</INF> standard at this time. The EPA also proposes revisions to other key aspects related to the PM NAAQS, including revisions to the Air Quality Index (AQI) and monitoring requirements for the PM NAAQS.