EPA Backs NY's PM2.5 Plan: Metro Air Stays Breathable Till 2036
Published Date: 2/12/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA is proposing to approve New York’s plan to keep the air clean in the New York metro area for another ten years by controlling tiny pollution particles called PM2.5. This plan affects ten counties and helps make sure the air stays safe to breathe through 2036. People can share their thoughts on this plan until March 16, 2026, but no new costs or big changes are expected.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Triggers for Action If PM2.5 Exceeds Limits
The plan requires the State to act if monitors show high PM2.5: if any New York Metropolitan Area monitor’s 98th percentile 24‑hour concentration exceeds 35.5 µg/m3 in a year, NYSDEC will analyze the cause and implement needed control measures; if monitors show exceedances for two consecutive years, NYSDEC will determine additional control measures and implement emissions‑reduction controls by regulation.
NY Metro PM2.5 Plan Keeps Air Safe Through 2036
The EPA is proposing to approve New York State’s limited maintenance plan (submitted October 15, 2024) to keep the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 standard (35 micrograms per cubic meter) met in the New York Metropolitan Area through the second ten‑year maintenance period (through 2036). This action covers ten New York counties (Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester) and, if approved, would satisfy the Clean Air Act section 175A requirement for the second ten‑year period.
State Must Keep PM2.5 Monitors Running
New York will continue to operate an approved PM2.5 air monitoring network in the NY Metropolitan Area to verify attainment; the submission says there are currently ten monitoring sites and EPA approved New York’s 2023 Annual Monitoring Network plan on January 3, 2024. Continued monitoring is part of the maintenance plan so regulators can track air quality and check that the 35 µg/m3 24‑hour standard is met.
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