What would it cost to clean up particulate pollution?

While there are no exact estimates of the cost of clean-up, there are many practical, cost-effective measures that can be taken to reduce emissions of fine particulates, including the adoption of energy conservation measures and switching to cleaner fuels such as natural gas.

Many existing Clean Air Act programs, such as the acid rain control program, and the ground level ozone smog programs, if properly implemented, will do much to reduce concentrations of fine particles by controlling the precursor pollutants. Reductions in sulfur dioxide, the largest contributor to fine particle pollution in the East, have proven to be far less expensive than anticipated. The price of sulfur dioxide emissions allowances has fallen to $68 per ton, compared to the $300 to $750 per ton predicted when the Clean Air Act Amendments were passed.