Trump’s EPA Abandons Defense of National Soot Standard That Saves Lives

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, in an unprecedented move, the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency gave up defending the national, health-based limits on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), also known as soot, that EPA strengthened last year. The EPA’s court filing asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to strike down the soot standard.

Soot, made up of tiny toxic particles that lodge deep in the lungs, results in severe health harms, including premature death, and comes from sources like vehicle exhaust pipes, power plants, and factories.

The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM2.5 — or the soot standards — are a cornerstone of the Clean Air Act. After over a decade without updates, the EPA followed the advice of independent experts and extensive scientific evidence and strengthened the annual soot standard to better protect public health, reducing the allowable level from 12 to 9 micrograms per cubic meter. Corporations and dozens of state attorneys general sued shortly after, though the rule is projected to result in billions of dollars in health benefits, prevent thousands of premature deaths, and deliver cleaner air to millions of people, particularly those living near highways, factories, and power plants.

In April, a coalition of 100 environmental, public health, and community groups urged EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to uphold and swiftly implement the 2024 soot standard, warning that any delay would endanger already overburdened communities.

In response, Sierra Club Climate Policy Director Patrick Drupp issued the following statement: 

“Lee Zeldin’s continued attacks on clean air are reckless, life-threatening, and a complete betrayal of the EPA’s core mission to protect our communities and our environment. While this administration continues to strip away access to affordable health care, they are simultaneously allowing fossil fuel companies to cut corners and make Americans sicker. We will continue to fight back against Lee Zeldin’s dangerous agenda to bolster fossil fuels and protect Americans from toxic pollutants.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.