(MI) The Mudpuppy – The Saginaw Valley is meeting standards for fine particulate matter, the soot from coal-fired energy and other fossil fuel burning that can cause health problems and shorten your life.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently designated areas in Michigan and other Midwest states for not meeting daily standards for PM 2.5, or airborne fine particles that are less than 2.5 microns in size.

Michigan counties that didn’t meet the standard are Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne, EPA officials said. More