In a significant policy shift, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to endorse individual air quality plans from eight states, effectively rolling back a federal regulation known as the Good Neighbor rule aimed at curbing interstate air pollution. This follows a Supreme Court ruling that there was insufficient justification for the federal regulation imposed under the Biden administration.
The states affected by this proposal include Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, and Tennessee. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated, Today, we are taking an important step to undo a Biden administration rule that treated our state partners unfairly. In his view, the rollback allows states to better manage their air quality in accordance with local needs without federal constraints.
While Zeldin argues that this approach embodies cooperative federalism, environmental advocates express concern over the potential adverse impact this policy may have on air quality in neighboring states that often bear the burden of pollution from industrial areas.
According to critics, this action could enable states to evade responsibility for pollution control, allowing noncompliance to persist without consequence. Zachary Fabish, a lawyer with the Sierra Club, condemned the proposal, stating, Letting states off the hook while their pollution continues harming air quality in neighboring states is dangerous, making Americans sicker and increasing energy costs. The EPA will open a public comment period for 30 days following the official publication of the proposal in the Federal Register.
