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newsrel -- Valley's Air Quality Attains Standard for PM 10 Ahead of Deadline

Posted: 25 Oct 2007 17:09:26
Please consider the following ARB press release announcing ARB's
request to redesignate the San Joaquin Valley as "in attainment"
for particulate matter 10.  You can review the release online at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr102507c.htm .
Than You
Dimitri Stanich
ARB/PIO


_____________________________________________________________



Release 07-48
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2007
	  	  	
Leo Kay
Patricia Rey
(916) 322-2990 
www.arb.ca.gov

ARB adopts San Joaquin Valley's PM10 Maintenance Plan

Improved Valley's air quality attains standards ahead of 2010
deadline


SACRAMENTO - In adopting the San Joaquin Valley's maintenance
plan for addressing coarse particulate matter (PM 10) for 2007
today, ARB is now requesting the U.S.EPA to redesignate the area
to attainment under the national ambient air quality standards.

"Meeting the PM10 standard is an important milestone.
Maintaining the standard will require continued vigilance, but
the combined efforts of local and state regulators with the
cooperation and support of businesses and residents have
demonstrated that the people of the Valley place a high priority
on clean air," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols.

Particulate matter is comprised of tiny particles made up of
many different materials such as metals, soot, soil and dust,
and can be formed in the atmosphere. PM may be divided into many
size fractions, measured in microns (a micron is one-millionth of
a meter). PM10 (up to 10 microns in size) includes smaller PM2.5
particles, both of which are linked to adverse health effects.
Ambient air quality standards define the maximum amount of
particles that can be present in outdoor air without threatening
the public's health.

Due to the adoption of ARB and local air district rules, the
Valley's air quality has improved to the point of attainment of
the PM10 standards before the 2010 deadline. This important
milestone also reflects the Valley's progress toward meeting the
more stringent particulate matter standards for PM2.5.

Some of the local and state measures adopted in the past to
reduce PM10 include among others, the curtailment of use of
wood-burning fireplaces during periods with predicted high PM
levels, dust controls for construction and agricultural
operations, controls on local industries, emission standards for
cars and trucks, California fuel regulations, and many more.

The San Joaquin Valley air board adopted the 2007 PM10
maintenance plan to address the Clean Air Act requirements and
request official redesignation to attainment. ARB will now
submit the plan to U.S. EPA as a revision to the State
Implementation Plan. The federal agency has 18 months to act on
the maintenance plan and request for redesignation. Since the
maintenance plan must provide for continued attainment 10 years
after designation, the local air district selected 2020 as the
target maintenance year.


The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

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