WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Trump administration on Wednesday took a step toward rolling back a rule that limits smokestack emissions that burden downwind areas in neighboring states.
The so-called is one of dozens of regulations that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin has targeted for reconsideration or repeal. The Supreme Court the rule, which is intended to block coal-fired power plants and other industrial sites from adding significantly to air pollution across state lines.
The EPA said Wednesday it is proposing to approve plans by eight states to regulate ozone air pollution as they see fit. If finalized, the states 鈥渨ould no longer need to worry about another 鈥楪ood Neighbor Plan鈥欌�� subject to approval by the federal government, the agency said.
The affected states are Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico and Tennessee. Under President Joe Biden, the EPA disapproved or proposed disapproval of ozone plans submitted by all those states. The state-specific plans did not sufficiently control ozone emissions that travel across state lines, the Biden-era agency said.
Zeldin said Wednesday that under President Donald Trump, the EPA is committed to advancing what Zeldin called 鈥渃ooperative federalism鈥� that allows states to decide for themselves how to attain air pollution goals.
鈥淭oday, we are taking an important step to undo a Biden administration rule that treated our state partners unfairly,” Zeldin said in a statement. If finalized, the EPA plan will ensure that 鈥渢hese states will be able to advance cleaner air now for their communities, instead of waiting for overly burdensome federal requirements years from now,鈥� he said.
Zeldin criticized what he said was the Biden-era agency’s 鈥渉eavy-handed, one-size-fits-all, federal mandate鈥� to address air pollution from smog-forming ozone.
Under the proposal announced Wednesday, 鈥淓PA finds that the eight (state plans) have adequate data demonstrating these states are not interfering with ozone attainment鈥� required by National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the agency said. The action also indicates EPA鈥檚 intent to withdraw proposed error corrections for state plans submitted by Iowa and Kansas.
In the near future, EPA intends to take a separate action to address 鈥渋nterstate transport鈥� obligations for the remaining states covered in the final, Biden-era 鈥淕ood Neighbor Plan,鈥� the agency said.
Environmental groups said the EPA proposal would reward states for being bad neighbors. Air pollution from heavily industrialized Midwestern states such as Indiana and Ohio frequently reaches East Coast states such as Connecticut and Delaware.
“Once again, Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin are choosing to protect aging, dirty and expensive coal plants and other industrial polluters over strong federal clean air protections that address interstate pollution problems,” said Zachary Fabish, a Sierra Club lawyer.
鈥淟etting states off the hook while their pollution continues harming air quality in neighboring states is dangerous,鈥� Fabish said, and will make “Americans sicker and pay more for energy while doing so.鈥�
EPA will accept public comment for at least 30 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register.
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