HOUSTON — The Environmental Protection Agency has announced new air quality standards for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), an airborne pollution typically emitted in large quantities at refineries and plants, construction sites, and other industrial facilities, a press release states.
Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee had previously submitted a formal comment advocating for stronger protections.
The press release states that the stronger standards will lower the amount of fine particle pollution emitted by plants and factories and better control pollution often produced in densely populated areas. The EPA estimates this could prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths across the country.
PM2.5 exposure can lead to respiratory issues, irregular heartbeat, death in people with heart or lung diseases, and aggravated asthma. Harris County’s formal comments pointed to communities like Settegast in Northeast Houston where air monitors consistently report heightened PM exposure and has some of the lowest life expectancy in the county.
“Black and Brown communities in Harris County and around the country have disproportionately been affected by air pollution for decades,” said Menefee. “Many of the facilities are located directly in neighborhoods, and these guidelines will ensure that we do as much as we can to limit harmful exposures.
“I’m pleased to see the EPA make this move, and I will do everything I can to ensure every person living in Harris County has clean air and water”
The decision is expected to impact the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) process for issuing permits to industrial facilities.