The lower court's ruling seriously undercuts the ability of the EPA to protect the health of the public. That's not something we can accept. The fight for clean air is not over, but we won an important battle today. EPA must set these standards to protect the public health with an adequate margin of safety. EPA then revised its ozone standard and issued new standards for fine particulates.
Ozone is formed when air pollutants combine in the heat of the summer sun.
Fine particulates are tiny pieces of soot and dust that lodge deeply in the lungs. EPA estimated that the new standards would not only save 15,000 lives annually, they would reduce significant breathing problems by 1.5 million cases. Various parties sued to challenge the new standards, including owners of coal-fired power plants in the Midwest and South, oil companies and automakers. With costs of complying with the new standards expected to be greatest in the Midwest and South, Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia joined the opponents. Massachusetts and New Jersey intervened in support of the air quality standards and other Northeast states filed supporting briefs with the Court of Appeals.