A U.S. federal appeals court rejected the Environmental Protection Agency's attempt to withdraw Biden-era limits on soot pollution from coal-fired power plants and factories. The court upheld the annual limit of 9 micrograms per cubic meter of fine particulate matter.
The court's decision upholds stricter environmental regulations on coal-fired power plants, impacting public health and the cost of compliance for the energy sector. It represents a setback for deregulatory efforts and reinforces the importance of environmental protections.
A U.S. federal appeals court has rejected the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) attempt to withdraw limits on soot pollution from coal-fired power plants and factories, a move that was part of the Trump administration's deregulatory agenda. The court upheld the existing annual limit of 9 micrograms per cubic meter of fine particulate matter, known as PM 2.5.
The EPA, under President Donald Trump, had petitioned the court to invalidate the 2024 rule, arguing that the agency had acted unreasonably by not considering the costs associated with setting the standard. The court, however, found these arguments lacked merit and denied the petition.
The Biden-era EPA had previously stated that the tighter limits would prevent significant public health issues, including over 800,000 cases of asthma symptoms, 2,000 hospital visits, and 4,500 premature deaths annually. Conversely, the Trump EPA had estimated the rule's cost to be in the hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars and contended it was not based on a full review of available science.
Environmental groups, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, lauded the court's decision, emphasizing the importance of public health protections and the clear scientific consensus on the dangers of soot pollution.