Noisy
← this week  ·  Subscribe →

The world is being quietly rearranged by people who write very long documents.

Federal Register · June 3, 2025
The title they went with Determination of Attainment by the Attainment Date; California; Mariposa County; 2015 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards Noisy translates that to

US environmental regulators can now ignore bad air quality data if it's from 'exceptional events'

What happened
US environmental regulators are proposing to declare Mariposa County, California, has met clean air standards. They did this by removing air pollution data from 2021 and 2022, calling those events "exceptional."
Why it matters
This decision sets a precedent for how US environmental regulators can define and exclude air pollution data. It means local areas can meet air quality targets by arguing that high pollution days were unusual, rather than by reducing overall emissions. This approach could make it harder to track real progress on air quality improvements.
The signal
Watch for other counties to request similar exclusions for their own air quality data, especially in areas with frequent wildfires or other natural events.
If you insist
Read the original →