The government agency, which is under a court order to deliver a plan, will propose lowering the particulate matter standard from 15 micrograms per cubic meter to between 12 to 14 micrograms per cubic meter. The EPA is expected to issue final standards by Dec. 14, 2012.
Lobbyists for oil companies, manufacturers and other industries have pressured the Obama Administration to maintain current air quality standards, arguing that tighter rules would exact a heavy toll on the economy.
