Federal: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and central Pennsylvania counties may face stricter air permits under soot standard
EPA has signaled which areas may be found to violate the 2024 fine-particle standard, including four South Jersey counties. Comments close November 5; final designations are due by February 6, 2027.
On October 6, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") published a federal notice, Initial Air Quality Designations for the 2024 Revised Primary Annual Fine Particle (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards, 91 Fed. Reg. 63516 (Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2024-0078), inviting comment by November 5, 2026 on how it intends to designate areas under Clean Air Act section 107(d). In letters dated September 29 and 30, 2026, EPA's regional administrators told Pennsylvania and New Jersey that monitoring data may show parts of each state not meeting the annual standard of 9.0 micrograms per cubic meter. The designations are not final. If an area is designated "nonattainment," new and expanding industrial sources there face a more demanding air permit path, and regional transportation plans become subject to added federal review.
91 Fed. Reg. 63516 (Oct. 6, 2026); Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2024-0078