The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a plan from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to maintain air quality standards for ozone in a specific area of West Virginia, including Brooke and Hancock counties. This action is part of West Virginia's plan to ensure compliance with the 1997 8-hour ozone standards and is in line with the Clean Air Act. The plan includes measures like monitoring air quality and having contingency plans ready if issues arise, and it will be effective from March 22, 2021. The EPA addressed public comments expressing concerns about the plan, concluding that it met all necessary criteria for approval.
Simple Explanation
The EPA has given a thumbs up to a plan from West Virginia to keep the air clean in two counties, making sure the area sticks to the rules for how much bad stuff like ozone can be in the air. They will start doing this on March 22, 2021, to help everyone breathe easier.