Key facts
- A federal appeals court rejected the EPA's attempt to abandon a Biden-era rule on soot pollution from coal plants.
- The court upheld the existing annual limit of 9 micrograms of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) per cubic meter.
- The Trump administration's EPA had argued the rule exceeded statutory authority and failed to consider business costs.
- The Biden-era EPA projected the tighter limits would prevent over 800,000 asthma symptom cases and 4,500 premature deaths annually.
- Environmental groups praised the ruling, calling it a victory for public health.
A federal appeals court has rejected the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) attempt to withdraw a Biden-era rule that sets stringent standards for deadly soot pollution from coal-fired power plants, factories, and other industrial sources. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit leaves intact the tighter annual limit of 9 micrograms of fine particle pollution per cubic meter of air, a reduction from the 12 micrograms established over a decade ago.
The EPA, under the Trump administration, had asked the court to invalidate the rule, arguing that previous administrations had exceeded their authority and acted unreasonably by not considering the costs to affected businesses. The court, in a unanimous decision written by Senior Judge Douglas Ginsburg, denied the request, stating the agency's arguments lacked merit.
The Biden-era EPA had previously stated that the stricter limits would prevent over 800,000 cases of asthma symptoms, 2,000 hospital visits, and 4,500 premature deaths annually. Conversely, the Trump EPA estimated the rule would cost hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars. Environmental groups hailed the decision as a victory for public health, urging the EPA to cease stalling and implement the clean air standards.