Complete list of press releases

(Washington, D.C. – January 15, 2021) Ten health and environmental groups from around the country filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia today opposing the Trump administration’s creation of a loophole for large emitters of dangerous air pollution.

“This loophole will leave millions of Americans more vulnerable to dangerous and cancer-causing air pollution,” said Vickie Patton, General Counsel for Environmental Defense Fund. “It’s another flagrant attempt by the Trump EPA to allow big polluters to pollute even more – contrary to the requirements of the Clean Air Act and the public health needs of our communities.”

Under the Clean Air Act, large industrial facilities must comply with “maximum achievable control technology” standards (MACT standards) if their emissions of hazardous air pollutants exceed “major source” thresholds. The MACT standards apply to 187 dangerous and cancer-causing pollutants, including benzene and mercury.

The MACT standards are so effective in reducing air pollution that they often cause industrial facilities to fall well below the “major source” thresholds. For that reason, EPA interpreted the Clean Air Act in 1995 to require major industrial facilities to comply with MACT standards for as long as they operate. That “once in, always in” interpretation remained in place for over twenty years.

Then, this past October, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler finalized a loophole that would allow thousands of large industrial facilities that are currently considered “major” sources to opt out of the MACT standards – and in many cases become subject to weaker standards or no standards at all. Wheeler’s loophole would allow any major pollution source to reclassify itself as a smaller “area source” if it emits below the major source threshold, even if it is only emitting below the threshold because it is complying with MACT standards.

Wheeler’s loophole would undermine the permanent reductions in pollution that these essential Clean Air Act protections are intended to achieve. EPA’s own analysis found that thousands of industrial facilities nationwide, such as refineries and chemical plants, could take advantage of this loophole to reclassify themselves as area sources. EDF’s analysis of information provided by EPA in the proposed rule found the potential for an increase of over 49 million pounds per year in toxic air pollution. Many of the facilities that could increase pollution under the loophole are in low-income communities and communities of color that disproportionately suffer from air pollution and are the most vulnerable to the health impacts of poor air quality.

EDF was joined on today’s petition for review to the D.C. Circuit by California Communities Against Toxics, Downwinders At Risk, Environmental Integrity Project, Hoosier Environmental Council, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ohio Citizen Action, Sierra Club, and Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services.

(Washington, D.C.—January 14, 2021) A dozen of the nation’s largest public health, consumer and environmental groups today presented the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia with a detailed and substantial case showing why the Trump administration’s rollback of the Clean Car Standards is unlawful.

The groups filed their opening brief in the lawsuit against the rollback, calling it “indefensible” and saying it will “gravely endanger public health, harm national energy security, cost consumers money, and lack legal or factual support.” (Brief, page 1)

The brief was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Communities for a Better Environment, Conservation Law Foundation, Consumer Federation of America, Environment America, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Law and Policy Center, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Public Citizen, Inc., Sierra Club and Union of Concerned Scientists. It argues that the Trump administration’s rollback is arbitrary and capricious, and will:

• Increase climate-changing pollution by nearly one billion metric tons
• Increase oil consumption by nearly two billion barrels
• Cost drivers at least $175 billion to purchase that additional fuel

The brief also discusses the numerous technical and economic errors the Trump administration used to justify the rollback.

“Even the Agencies’ own economic analysis (which is rife with arbitrary assumptions and obvious, major computational mistakes), does not claim the Rollback’s benefits outweigh its costs … Both the Rollback and EPA’s determination that its prior standards were ‘inappropriate’ are irredeemably flawed and must be vacated.” (Brief, page 2 and 3)

The groups are part of a broad coalition opposing the rollback of the Clean Car Standards. Twenty-three states, several cities and air quality management districts, and dozens of major businesses are also challenging the rollback in court. A bipartisan group of 24 governors urged the Trump administration not to proceed with the rollback, and an American Lung Association poll found that more than two-thirds of Americans support the Clean Car Standards.

America needs real leadership to reduce climate and air pollution from the transportation sector. As President-elect Biden takes office next week, there is an opportunity to move forward swiftly with broadly supported and transformative standards that substantially reduce this harmful pollution.

Quotes

“Rolling back the Clean Car Standards will cause more than 18,000 premature deaths by mid-century, as well as hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and other lung problems. The rollback will make climate change worse, cost American families money at the gas pump, and the Trump administration’s own analysis found that with it we’ll lose 60,000 jobs. We need clean cars for a better future, and this rollback sends us speeding in the wrong direction.” – Alice Henderson, senior attorney with Environmental Defense Fund

“The legal and technical support for the Trump administration’s dangerous rollback of clean car standards is as sound as a rusty jalopy. We would be happy to argue this case in court, but it might never reach that point. The Biden administration should take one hard look at this shoddy legal and technical work and throw this rule onto the scrap heap of history.” – David Doniger, a lawyer for NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

“The briefs we and the States filed meticulously and unambiguously show that the Trump rollback is lawless and dangerous to the climate and public health. We look forward to working with the Biden administration to restore and strengthen clean car standards to save lives, save consumers money at the pump, and help avoid catastrophic climate change.” – Rob Michaels, Senior Attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center.

“Reversing our clean car standards was the Trump Administration’s most egregious rollback, attacking our nation’s strongest climate policy, and we have used every tool possible to defend the standards over the past four years. We are confident that the courts will invalidate these illegal rollbacks and the Biden Administration will get us back on track to adopt bold, life-saving standards.” – Joanne Spalding, Chief Climate Counsel, Sierra Club

“The diluted federal clean car standards rule stifles progress toward pollution-free cars and is unlawful. It fails to address the climate crisis and the agencies did not adequately consider the air pollution impacts. This rollback endangers our health and our climate.” – Morgan Folger, director of Environment America’s Destination: Zero Carbon campaign

“The administration’s case for this final rule relies on bad legal arguments and embarrassing technical errors. In reality, this rule leaves us worse off, imposing unnecessary costs on drivers at the pump and creating more climate-endangering pollution. At every turn, this administration has shown that they simply can’t justify their push for weaker vehicle standards.” – Dave Cooke, Senior Vehicles Analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists

“Trump’s ‘dirty cars’ rule worsens the nation’s leading source of carbon dioxide, feeding a perilous cycle of storms, fires, floods and droughts that threatens people and wildlife from coast to coast. With this filing, we’ve taken the next step in fighting this reckless, industry-serving rule and confronting the climate crisis.” – Katherine Hoff, attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute

“Clean cars are essential to a clean Chesapeake Bay. Allowing dirtier vehicles on the road undermines efforts to restore the Bay and makes the health of the watershed and its residents more vulnerable to climate change and harmful air pollution. Our brief is an important step towards moving past this unlawful rollback and to a future with cleaner cars throughout the watershed.” – Ariel Solaski, Staff Litigation Attorney, Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

“The Administration claimed this rollback benefits consumers even while conceding it will cost them billions of dollars; said it will result in maximum achievable fuel economy even while acknowledging auto manufacturers can do better; said it fulfills Clean Air Act mandates even while admitting it will pump tons of greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere and cause hundreds of premature deaths; and dubbed it the ‘SAFE’ rule even after its claimed safety benefits fell apart in the rulemaking process. Only in a through-the-looking-glass world could this rule pass muster.” – Scott Nelson, Public Citizen Litigation Group

Tomorrow, the Trump EPA will announce the formal withdrawal of proposed bans on high-risk uses of the dangerous chemicals methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, and N-methylpyrrolidone. By taking this action, the Trump EPA seeks to prevent the new administration from finalizing any of these bans without starting the process over.  

“It appears that blocking these bans and denying crucial protections to workers and consumers for four years was not enough for the Trump EPA. This shameful move that epitomizes the Trump EPA’s concerted attacks on public health is a transparent attempt to further constrain the incoming administration. It is yet another stain on Mr. Wheeler’s dismal record,” said Dr. Richard Denison, Lead Senior Scientist, EDF Health. “We are counting down the days until the EPA’s decisions, once again, reflect its mission to protect health and the environment.”

Background:

During the debate on the overhaul to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in 2016, there was broad agreement that EPA would need to take quick action to address particularly risky uses of dangerous chemicals. A broad array of stakeholders agreed this was the best way to build confidence in the new law early on. The amendments to TSCA, therefore, specifically authorized EPA to adopt such restrictions. In that spirit, in late 2016 and early 2017 under the Obama administration, EPA proposed to ban or restrict:

1. Trichloroethylene (TCE) in aerosol degreasing and spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities and vapor degreasing. TCE is a known human carcinogen that leads to fetal heart defects. 
2. Methylene chloride in paint strippers. It is acutely lethal and linked to liver and lung cancer. Its use in paint strippers has resulted in at least 83 deaths in the last several decades.
3. N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) in paint strippers. NMP is linked to fetal development problems including low birth weight and birth defects.

Enter the Trump administration. In December 2017, it effectively shelved these bans in its unified regulatory agenda. EPA then went a step further, stating it would start from scratch and reassess the high-risk uses as part of a separate process under TSCA, delaying any possible action for years.

For methylene chloride, in response to pressure from the families of people who had died from using paint strippers using the chemical, the agency finally issued a weakened ban covering only consumer uses of paint strippers in March 2019 – leaving commercial uses unchecked. By excluding commercial uses from the ban, it leaves millions of workers wholly unprotected, despite the fact that they constitute the majority of reported deaths from these products.

The decision to formally withdraw these bans demonstrates, once again, the Trump EPA’s utter disdain for protecting our health and its devotion to elevating narrow private interests over those of the public. Sadly, it is also in keeping with the Trump administration’s unrelenting efforts to hamper the new administration’s efforts to take health-protective action.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) “API’s credibility on methane regulations evaporated when it spent the Obama and Trump years attacking sensible regulatory measures to reduce emissions, even as many producers, utilities and investors took leadership positions. There is no reasonable debate on whether the federal government should regulate methane emissions. A broad coalition of stakeholders supports federal methane regulation of new and existing sources, and what matters now is speed and ambition.

“Any trade association efforts to weaken rulemakings will fall on deaf ears as the Biden administration overcomes years of lost time and achieves maximum emission reductions to protect the climate and communities, while helping industry improve. We encourage companies to demonstrate leadership by offering the data, experience and solutions to support ambitious policy responses that take advantage of emerging technologies and practices to cut emissions dramatically and pragmatically.”

• Ben N. Ratner, Senior Director, EDF+Business

“API’s credibility on methane regulations evaporated when it spent the Obama and Trump years attacking sensible regulatory measures to reduce emissions, even as many producers, utilities and investors took leadership positions. There is no reasonable debate on whether the federal government should regulate methane emissions. A broad coalition of stakeholders supports federal methane regulation of new and existing sources, and what matters now is speed and ambition.

“Any trade association efforts to weaken rulemakings will fall on deaf ears as the Biden Administration overcomes years of lost time and achieves maximum emission reductions to protect the climate and communities, while helping industry improve. We encourage companies to demonstrate leadership by offering the data, experience, and solutions to support ambitious policy responses that take advantage of emerging technologies and practices to cut emissions dramatically and pragmatically.”

(Westmorland, Calif., January 13, 2021) – The California Salton Sea Management Program began construction this week on a nearly 4,000-acre project to restore bird and fish habitat and improve conditions for nearby communities at the southern end of the Salton Sea.

T he Species Conservation Habitat Project (SCH) will reduce wind-borne dust pollution in a region to the east and west of the New River delta, lessening dangerous dust pollution affecting nearby communities, while also creating habitat for birds and serving as a water-management pond for future projects in the area.The SCH will be constructed on what is now exposed, dust-emitting lakebed, or playa. It will include several types of habitat areas to accommodate a variety of shorebirds, wading birds and waterfowl. 

The SCH will anchor Phase I of the state’s Salton Sea Management Program, which focuses on constructing wetlands and other projects to reduce exposed playa and health hazards posed by airborne dust across 30,000 acres, as well as serve as a model for creating various types of habitat in other parts of the lake.

“Starting long-awaited construction on the Species Habitat Conservation project signals California leaders are finally taking responsibility for averting a major environmental and ecological crisis at the Salton Sea,” said Maurice Hall, associate vice president of Environmental Defense Fund’s Water Program. “We applaud the Newsom administration for making good on its commitment to stop making verbal promises and start taking action to get projects done that will improve conditions for people and wildlife around the state’s largest lake.”

“We are hopeful this project is the beginning of a more expedient implementation of the SSMP,” said Silvia Paz, executive director with Alianza Coachella Valley. “We applaud Governor Newsom’s administration and recognize the local leadership of Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, which has gotten us to this awaited point, to begin mitigating the negative impacts the drying Salton Sea has on nearby communities. We encourage our representatives to treat investments at the Salton Sea as opportunities to create multi-benefits that expand access to outdoor spaces as well as put our communities on our way to economic recovery after this devastating pandemic.”

“After years of false starts and delays, shovels have finally hit the ground and the Species Conservation Project is becoming a reality,” said Frank Ruiz, director of Audubon California’s Salton Sea Program. “As we enter our second year of a deadly pandemic during a tumultuous election season, that’s something to celebrate. We are simply out of time – if we allow the Sea to continue to decline, the health impacts on surrounding communities and the effect on the millions of migratory birds from Alaska to the Amazon will be catastrophic.”

“We commend the state’s leadership, staff and their contractor for starting to construct much-needed habitat and dust suppression projects at the Salton Sea,” said Michael Cohen, senior associate at the Pacific Institute. “SCH will be a vital demonstration of state commitment and the value – to both people and wildlife – of investing in the Salton Sea.”

“It is long overdue, but we are encouraged that the state is finally breaking ground on dust suppression and habitat restoration efforts at the Salton Sea,” said Brandon Dawson, policy advocate at the California Sierra Club. “For too long, communities have suffered from polluted air and land quality loss created by the failure to clean up the Sea. In the middle of a pandemic and extinction crisis, the need for clean air, access to the outdoors, and healthy habitat has never been more important. The state must urgently tackle more restoration projects to protect local communities and public health.”

With an estimated surface area of 320 square miles, the Salton Sea is by far California’s largest lake, as well as a vital stop for migrating birds along the Pacific Flyway. Threatened by contaminated runoff and reduced inflow from changing water-usage patterns, the Sea is degrading rapidly, exposing airborne dust from the dry lakebed that endangers the health of the 650,000 residents who live in the immediate area. The Salton Sea is also a vital stopover for many bird species migrating along the Pacific Flyway.

“EDF is fully committed to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power, and to the core institutions that have made the U.S. the great nation that it is. Last week, these key principles were violated by President Trump as he incited a violent insurrection that resulted in a dangerous and deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Therefore, EDF is calling for the immediate resignation of President Trump. He needs to vacate his position immediately.

“In addition, a group of Republican Members of Congress challenged our democratic process by working to block a legally elected president. In the most visible and clear manifestation of an effort to overturn a free and fair election, eight Republican Senators and 139 House Members voted to block the counting of the electoral college votes. This threatens the very foundation of the country. Therefore, EDF will not provide any public support to these members and EDF Action will not support these members with PAC contributions.

“EDF is a non-partisan organization and fundamentally believes that broad-based policies that appeal to lawmakers across the political spectrum result in the strongest and most durable progress. We will join with anyone who is sincerely committed in both word and deed to rebuild the capacity for respectful bipartisan dialogue in the U.S. Congress.”

- Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(Great Falls, MT – January 11, 2021) Health and environmental advocates are asking a court to reject the Trump administration’s just-finalized Censored Science rule because it threatens the health and safety of Americans, and because it was imposed with an unduly hasty – and illegal – timeframe.

Environmental Defense Fund, the Montana Environmental Information Center, and Citizens for Clean Energy filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana today.

“The Trump administration’s Censored Science rule weakens EPA’s ability to protect Americans from dangerous pollution by restricting its use of the best available science. EPA also violated federal law by making the rule effective immediately, instead of providing the legally required 30-day window,” said EDF senior attorney Ben Levitan. “Our lawsuit asks the court to block this eleventh-hour threat to Americans’ health and safety.”

“This is another attempt by the Trump administration to kick the public in the teeth on its way out the door. It directly targets some of our most important public health protections. We want to ensure that public health standards are established using the best science possible. Imagine telling EPA it should ignore the science when it sets limits of mercury pollution in our air and water or lead in our homes and yards. It’s inexcusable,” said Anne Hedges, Director of Policy and legislative affairs for the Montana Environmental Information Center.

Trump EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler published the Censored Science rule last week. It will undermine the agency’s ability to protect public health and the environment by fundamentally transforming the ways in which EPA may consider and rely on scientific evidence. The rule will restrict EPA’s ability to consider research for which underlying data are not publicly available. However, because legal and ethical rules – like medical privacy laws – can prohibit making that data public, the Censored Science rule will obstruct EPA’s consideration of rigorous scientific studies that are critical to developing public health protections.

The Trump administration rushed the Censored Science rule to the finish line in the last days of its term, and also made it effective immediately upon publication – even though the law clearly requires that substantive rules have an effective date of “not less than 30 days” after publication. In today’s filing, the groups state, “Given that the agency took more than two and a half years to finalize the rule, it cannot credibly claim an urgent need to make it effective thirty days earlier than statutorily required.” (Complaint, Page 13)

The groups are asking the court to set aside the Censored Science rule, and to enjoin its enforcement because its effective date is not 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

“Even as the nation reacts to the shameful events at the US Capitol yesterday, the election results bring important changes for those seeking to address a climate crisis. Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff have won the Senate runoff elections in Georgia. We congratulate them on their historic campaigns, and look forward to working with them and the new Senate leadership.

“Stopping the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting America’s ailing economy and fighting climate change must be the top priorities of the new Congress. The incoming Congress and Biden-Harris administration have an opportunity to rebuild our country better than it was before the pandemic hit. They can pursue policies that create good-paying jobs and high quality economic opportunities, fight climate change, and promote environmental justice.

“Both the House and Senate will be closely divided. That reality will put a premium on policy solutions that have appeal across the political spectrum. But the urgency for strong action remains and Congress has a unique window of opportunity to address the climate crisis.

“We extend congratulations to the Democratic Leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, who stands ready to assume the position of Senate Majority Leader. Sen. Schumer is a long-time advocate of strong climate change policies, and we are optimistic that under his leadership we will have a Congress that grows the economy and tackles climate change head-on.”

-Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs

“The violent mob that stormed the United States Capitol today, causing senseless loss of life, was there only because of the reckless and anti-democratic actions of Donald Trump. Trump has incited violence, flouted the rule of law, and encouraged the worst impulses of his followers. Today he reaped the whirlwind.

“Trump and those who have enabled him have done real damage to our democracy — but American democracy is much stronger than they are. Democracy will prevail and Trump will leave office, but all Americans and especially our leaders should reflect on how this man has been enabled, and resolve to prevent this from ever being tolerated again.”

- Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

“News reports say that, as expected, EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler has finalized a rule that will restrict the science the agency can use to protect public health. It’s a nasty parting shot from an administration that has undermined science and jeopardized our foundational environmental and public health protections from its beginning.

“Wheeler’s Censored Science Rule will limit EPA’s ability to consider rigorous scientific studies if all the underlying data are not available to third parties – even if those studies rely on confidential patient information, or there are other legal, ethical or practical barriers to disclosure. When EPA is prevented from using the best available science, the result will be policies that don’t adequately protect the health and safety of all Americans.

“The Censored Science Rule also includes vague and ambiguous language allowing the EPA administrator to grant exceptions for some scientific studies. This will introduce political maneuvering into what should be a purely scientific process.

“The Censored Science Rule will hobble EPA’s ability to do its job and will expose Americans to more health risks from pollution. Even EPA’s own Science Advisory Board warned this policy could “reduce scientific integrity” at the agency. The Biden administration should add this to the long and growing list of bad policy decisions that should be reversed as soon as possible.”

- Ben Levitan, EDF senior attorney

The China National Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is now open for business after the system’s core pieces have been put in place. The release and promulgation of the Measures for the Administration of National Carbon Emission Trading (Trial) and the 2019-2020 Implementation Plan for National Carbon Emission Trading Total Allowances Setting and Allocation (Power Generation Industry), by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) is an important step in the world’s largest ETS and a crucial component for China to achieve early carbon peaking and eventual neutrality. According to the Administration of National Carbon Emission Trading (Trial), the first compliance cycle of the national ETS (power generation industry) is through January 1st to December 31st 2021, which will cover the emission of 2019 and 2020 for the 2,225 key entities in the industry. 

Zhang Jianyu, Vice President, Environmental Defense Fund China
“This is one of the most exciting developments for the world’s largest carbon market in the recent rollercoaster year. The release of the 2019-2020 ETS allocation Plan (Power Generation Industry), which includes 2,225 entities in the power generation industry, is a signal that China’s national ETS is officially opened for business. It retrospectively shows that the carbon emission of the 2,225 entities have been explicitly included in the national ETS since January 1st 2019.    

“The ETS is essential in reducing emissions and the associated costs, while also formulating an effective carbon pricing signal, which lays a solid foundation for the low carbon transition of society as a whole. As a result, the ETS will become an effective tool to help China achieve carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 – goals that Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged in 2020. 
 
“As a long-term and trusted Chinese government partner in the buildup of the national ETS, EDF will continue to help China further improve the system, and is looking forward to the inclusion of more industry sectors, and the introduction of the offset mechanism. We hope more active market participation and diversified ETS trading products will help catalyze more climate investment and result in earlier and deeper emissions reductions”.

• Zhang Jianyu, Vice President, Environmental Defense Fund China

Background
Measures for the Administration of National Carbon Emission Trading (Trial) published by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment 

(WASHINGTON – January 4, 2021) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today released targeted ads to support its Power Up, America campaign, a major effort to promote clean transportation and clean energy infrastructure to boost the economy, create jobs, cut harmful pollution and build healthier communities. This $750,000 digital ad buy in West Virginia, Colorado and Arizona will rally support for policies that strengthen America’s economic competitiveness while cleaning up the largest sources of climate pollution in the United States.

“These ads are a reminder that investing in U.S. manufacturing, clean transportation and clean energy is a smart way to create jobs and build toward a healthier future. Boosting the economy and reducing pollution are broadly popular and present a pathway to bridging divisions in the country and Congress,” said Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President for Political Affairs at EDF. “The bipartisan clean energy provisions in the end-of-year COVID-19 relief bill demonstrate that we can make progress — now it’s time to build on that momentum.”

Power Up, America is EDF’s call for 100% clean electric power by 2035, zero pollution cars by 2035, and zero emission trucks and buses by 2040. Transitioning to a zero-emission transportation sector will put over one million people to work, build up our manufacturing base to boost our COVID-battered economy and make American businesses more competitive in international trade — while tackling the country’s leading source of climate pollution. The campaign will continue across the country in the months ahead.

On December 23, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator signed EPA’s Rule on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aircraft. While that rule acknowledges the dangers to public health and the environment posed by aviation’s global warming pollution, by EPA’s own admission, it does nothing to reduce emissions from this key sector.

“EPA’s promulgation of a final rule on aircraft greenhouse gas emissions recognizes that it’s essential to look at the entire aircraft, not just the engine, since the structure, operation, and fuel characteristics are all important determinants of aviation pollution. However, this do-nothing rule is totally inadequate in light of the climate crisis. It’s incumbent on the incoming Biden-Harris administration to move swiftly to tighten this standard.  

“Moreover, EPA’s new rule fails to address the environmental injustice of high toxic and particulate pollution around airports, which disproportionately affects airport workers and local communities downwind. An ambitious rule that addresses these disproportionate effects, and gives the industry flexibility to use the full panoply of measures – from better engine and aircraft design, to light-weighting, to high-quality sustainable fuels, and limited high quality carbon credits such as those already agreed to by the United States in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) – can spur innovation across the sector, put people to work retrofitting today’s aircraft and producing better fuels and aircraft, and make real cuts in aviation pollution.”  

“The pandemic has dealt airlines and their workers a gut-punch. That the EPA’s rule is being finalized concomitantly with Congress issuing another multi-billion-dollar COVID-19 rescue package for airlines – with  no enforceable requirements for airlines to improve their environmental performance  – underscores the need for swift regulatory action by the next administration so that airlines put climate at the core of their recovery and build back better. A return to business-as-usual aviation pollution growth will only jeopardize further those aviation jobs that the American taxpayer is now committed to protecting, as other nations and competitors sprint ahead in the race to make aviation more sustainable.”   

• Annie Petsonk, International Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund 

“Tens of millions of Americans live in an area with unhealthy levels of smog, and today’s decision by the Trump administration to leave inadequate protections in place risks their health and well-being.

“The administration is legally required to ensure that our national standards for ground-level ozone pollution are set at a level that protects public health, including a margin of safety for those who are especially vulnerable to smog. Smog exacerbates lung conditions like asthma and is linked to a wide array of serious heart and lung diseases. It’s especially dangerous for children, the elderly, people who work outdoors, and low-income communities or communities of color.

“However, instead of fulfilling his duty, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler rushed a decision to maintain our current standards – in spite of a large body of medical and scientific studies showing those standards are outdated and do not adequately protect public health.

“The administration just gave all Americans the extremely unwanted holiday gift of more air pollution. This action should earn the administration giant lumps of coal in their stockings, but the rest of us should not have to suffer from the air pollution that coal smokestacks create. The incoming Biden Administration should take immediate steps to reverse this harmful decision.”

- Rachel Fullmer, EDF senior attorney