Jessica King, jessica.king@sierraclub.org
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Biden Administration moved to protect fenceline communities from hazardous air pollution by proposing a policy–following a Trump Administration rollback–that ensures industrial polluters continue to limit their toxic air emissions as long as they operate.
For decades, EPA required industrial polluters such as petrochemical plants and refineries to permanently comply with “Maximum Available Control Technology” (MACT) standards under the Clean Air Act. Those limits protect the public from air toxics–pollutants such as mercury, arsenic, benzene, and other carcinogens and neurotoxins that are hazardous even in small quantities.
The Trump Administration withdrew this policy in 2020, creating a loophole that allowed hundreds of major industrial sources of toxic air pollutants, many located near low-income communities and communities of color, to opt out of compliance with critical public health protections. With this announcement, EPA is proposing to ensure that those sources do not use that loophole to increase their toxic emissions.
In response, Sierra Club Managing Attorney Sanjay Narayan released the following statement:
"The Trump Administration's decision to allow polluters to increase their toxic emissions was a grave error that harmed low-income communities and communities of color that have borne the brunt of industrial pollution for far too long.
"With this proposal, the Biden Administration is sending a clear message that protecting public health and clean air matters–regardless of your income, race, or zip code. We celebrate this proposal as a significant step toward clean air for all, and urge the Biden Administration to finalize a rule that protects our most vulnerable communities from toxic air 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.