U.S. Court Blocks EPA Rollback of Controls on Air Pollution
A panel of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Friday unanimously denied the Trump administration’s request to abandon a Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule setting tougher limits on soot pollution from coal-fired power plants and other industrial sources.
Last year the EPA asked the Court to invalidate the rule, claiming that it was adopted by an inadequate process and exceeded the EPA’s authority. The Appeals Court panel’s unanimous ruling dismissed those allegations as “without merit.”
Importance of Regulating Soot
The Biden era rule set maximum levels of 9 micrograms of fine particle pollution (soot) per cubic meter of air, down from 12 micrograms established under former President Barack Obama. This represents an air quality level that states and counties must achieve in the coming years to reduce pollution from power plants, vehicles, and industrial sites. The tiny particles in soot lodge deep in the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing damage to the lungs and heart. The Biden EPA found that the lower standard would avoid 800,000 cases of asthma symptoms, 2,000 hospital visits, and 4,500 premature deaths, adding up to $46 billion in health benefits in 2032.
Separately, a lawsuit was filed in federal court in California in April of this year by a coalition of health, environmental, and community groups from across the nation (including CleanAIRE NC) asking the Court for an order directing the EPA to enforce the tougher Biden-era standard. A statement from the national legal groups (including the Southern Environmental Law Center) representing the coalition said that “Doctors and scientists who treat patients and study air pollution have made overwhelmingly clear that soot pollution kills and sickens people. Delaying compliance and enforcement of the standard is a choice the Trump administration is making to allow preventable health harms to worsen every day. Over and over again, this administration shows what its priority is – letting polluters off the hook. We are determined to ensure that the Trump EPA complies with the law and carries out these life-saving protections against soot pollution.”
This ruling is some welcome good news for our families, communities, and country. We will continue to push for clean air, clean water, and a clean energy future for all North Carolinians. Join us in the fight for our environment and communities by donating today.
