US environmental regulators declare a Michigan area's air clean enough

US environmental regulators say the air in Michigan's St. Clair area now meets federal sulfur dioxide standards. This means the area is no longer considered to have unhealthy air, and a local power plant has met its pollution limits.

The St. Clair area was previously designated as having unhealthy levels of sulfur dioxide. This designation triggered specific requirements for local industries to reduce emissions. Now that the area meets the standard, those stricter rules are lifted. The DTE Belle River Power Plant has specific, approved limits to maintain. This formalizes cleaner air for residents and reduces regulatory pressure on the plant.