NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia could start to see more "yellow" air quality days. But it's not because of the air itself.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is following new, more stringent standards from the federal government that change the breakpoints between "good" (green) and "moderate" (yellow) air quality.
Under the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, moderate air quality will be triggered when fine particulate matter, or soot, reaches nine micrograms per cubic meter.
The previous breakpoint was 12 micrograms per cubic meter, but the EPA said the new standards offer more public health protection and align with the latest research.
A spokesperson for the Virginia DEQ stressed that the changes don't mean air quality is or has gotten worse; it's just a change to how air quality is reported.
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