Home > Environmental Law Home > Lawsuits > Sierra Club Threatens to Sue EPA

Sierra Club Lawsuits

Sierra Club Threatens to Sue EPA

Case Updates:

October 8, 2008

One of the main duties of the federal Environmental Protection Agency is to protect people and communities from air pollution. On Tuesday October 7, 2008, Sierra Club and the Environmental Integrity Project announced plans to sue EPA for failing to update its emissions standard for nitric acid plants at least every eight years, as required by the Clean Air Act. While no legal action has been taken yet, if the EPA does not begin reviewing these standards within the 60-day notice period Sierra Club and EIP will seek a court order forcing it to do so. Nitric acid plants are significant sources of many pollutants, including nitrous oxide, which is 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its global warming potential, and controlling it is one of the easiest ways for EPA to make a dent in global warming emissions. It is about time the EPA took steps to protect Americans for the negative effects of nitrous oxide, and this threat of legal action will hopefully jump start the EPA into action.

Details and Documents:

News Articles

Environmental Integrity Project and Sierra Club Threaten to Sue EPA
October 7, 2008, RTT News