Washington county no longer has to meet strict air quality rules for sulfur dioxide

The US environmental regulators have decided that a part of Whatcom County, Washington, now meets federal air quality standards for sulfur dioxide. This means the area no longer has to follow special plans to reduce pollution, which were put in place because of a now-closed aluminum smelter.

When a major polluter shuts down, the local environment can recover. This document confirms that the air quality in Whatcom County has improved enough to remove the special pollution controls. It shows that environmental regulations can be effective, even if the primary driver for improvement was the closure of a large industrial facility.