EPA Stalling Lawsuit Over Air Pollution

The EPA has moved to delay lawsuits it faces over its 2015 proposal to adopt a stricter air quality standard – both from business interests who think it’s too strict, and environmentalists who don’t think it goes far enough. The EPA was set this month to defend its move to reduce the ground-level ozone standard to 70 parts per billion, down from the 75-ppb standard adopted under the George W. Bush administration. With the agency requesting that the case be put on hold, some are concerned that the Trump administration will ditch the cleaner standard altogether. A federal appeals court granted the suspension this week to give EPA time to review the standard. Environmental and health groups filed court papers protesting the delay.