homepage - programs - environmental law - lawsuits - no more guessing on air emissions in california
No More Guessing on Air Emissions in California
Case Updates:
January 1, 2004
In September 2003, The Club and other coalition partners settled a lawsuit against the Bush administration which compels the administration to better regulate air pollution from diesel irrigation pump engines in California. The settlement follows a lawsuit filed last May after the Bush administration issued permit applications to agricultural sources of air pollution in California requesting that they "estimate" their own "actual" emissions from diesel irrigation pump engines in order to determine whether they needed a permit. The Clean Air Act, however, does not allow sources to guess what their own emissions are likely to be. The law requires sources to be regulated on the basis of their "potential to emit." The coalition of groups called EPA's shortcut "regulating with a wink and a nod," basically tempting farmers to underestimate their own emissions so that they could avoid applying for permits.
May 1, 2003
Airborne dust, soot, metals, and other particles present a serious public health threat because they aggravate lung disease and reduce lung function. The San Joaquin Valley is in “serious” nonattainment for these pollutants, the worst possible classification shared by only eight other areas in the country. The Sierra Club, its coalition partners, and Earthjustice have launched an aggressive campaign to make the air in the San Joaquin Valley safe to breathe. A recently filed lawsuit, following on the heels of many other legal successes, seeks to overturn the very weak pollution rules that were recently adopted by the Administration and to force the EPA to adopt more stringent controls.
Details and Documents:
More Info:
See other "Safeguarding Communities" cases.