What's the issue?
In recent years, the air quality monitor in the Butte has documented elevated levels of fine particle matter pollution (PM2.5) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (the Borough) that levels are threatening to exceed federal standards established to protect public health. The monitor located in the Butte has recorded PM2.5 concentrations near or above the PM2.5 24-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), with increased number of exceedances in recent years.
Why is this important?
Our localized air quality problem has implications for borough citizen’s health, health care costs, regulatory burden for the Borough, state and federal projects, federal funding, and industrial and utility infrastructure.