On February 6, 2010 The Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB) published a formal notice of proposed rulemaking to amend Pennsylvania's New Source Review (NSR) rules to incorporate current federal requirements for fine particulate matter, so-called "PM 2.5". Recent federal revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for PM2.5 have made the standard much more stringent, reducing the primary and secondary 24-hour NAAQS for PM2.5 from 65 micrograms/cubic meter to 35 micrograms per cubic meter. As a result of this change, Bucks County, Lehigh County and Northampton County (among others) have been designated as non-attainment for the 24-hour NAAQS for PM2.5.These changes will affect new major stationary sources and major modifications to such sources which emit fine particulate matter.

The proposed rulemaking was published for public comment in the Pennsylvania Bulletin of February 6, 2010. Comments on this proposal may be submitted to the Environmental Quality Board at any one of the following addresses: U.S. Mail: EQB, P.O. Box 8477, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8477; Electronically: RegComments@state.pa.us; Street Address: 16th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101-2301. Comments must be received by the Environmental Quality Board by April 12, 2010.