New EPA rule to prevent deadly soot pollution

(WHTM) — The Biden Administration is cracking down on deadly soot pollution by creating a new environmental protection agency rule.

The rule is aimed at preventing thousands of premature deaths and sets maximum levels of nine micrograms of fine particle pollution per cubic meter of air. That is down from 12 micrograms set during the Obama administration.

The American Lung Association said this is a good start but more can be done.

“The Biden administration chose to improve only to the year-round and not to the level that the lung association advocated for. Unfortunately, that level is not adequate to protect public health. People still have health problems at levels below whatever the EPA’s new standard will be,” Kevin Stewart, Director of Environmental Health with the American Lung Association said.

The EPA said the rule would have $46 billion in net health benefits by 2032. Including the prevention of 800,00 asthma attacks.