Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced Wednesday that the air in all parts of the Commonwealth meets the federal health-based standard for short-term exposure to fine pollution particles.

“This is an important accomplishment that affects all Virginians,” says Kaine. “As we continue to improve air quality, we will see significant benefits for people’s health and the environment across the state.”

Based on data for 2004, 2005 and 2006, all the air quality monitors in Virginia that measure tiny pollution particles (less than 1/30th the diameter of a human hair) show that levels meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standard for a 24-hour average.

In a letter to Kaine, EPA Mid-Atlantic Administrator Donald S. Welsh wrote that EPA has determined “that the entire Commonwealth of Virginia is in attainment [of the standard] at this time. … This is truly good news for the residents of Virginia.”

EPA’s announcement is a preliminary decision that it expects to make final in December, following a public comment period on its air quality designation for Virginia and other states. In December 2007, the Department of Environmental Quality informed EPA that all Virginia air monitors met the health standard and asked EPA to formally agree.

Fine particles have been linked to serious human health problems, including aggravated asthma, increased coughing, difficult or painful breathing, chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function, and premature death in people with heart and lung disease.

DEQ’s air quality data shows that through reductions in pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which contribute to particle pollution, Virginia has made steady improvements in air quality since 2002. These reductions include significant pollution decreases statewide from power plants and major industrial sources, as well as ongoing pollution controls for vehicles in Northern Virginia.