air

February 7, 2024

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its long-awaited National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter (PM2.5) -- commonly known as soot -- which will lower the annual standard from 12 mcg/m3 to 9 mcg/m3. Soot pollution is shown to increase the risk of asthma, heart attacks, stroke, cancer, and premature death, and nationally, this new standard is expected to prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths, 290,000 lost workdays per year, and result in as much as $43 billion in net health benefits in 2032.

February 7, 2024

Today, the EPA released updated National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter (PM2.5), taking a positive and long-awaited step toward addressing a dangerous and deadly air pollutant responsible for over 100,000 deaths in the United States every year.

January 10, 2024

Yesterday, the EPA proposed to move forward with a Trump-era policy that narrows the scope of what the agency can examine when they review air operating permits, reducing the depth and quality of EPA’s review of air permits.

December 20, 2023

The Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club filed notice today of their intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to ensure that areas in 11 states and two U.S. territories have effective plans for cleaning up sulfur dioxide air pollution.

November 27, 2023

Pollution from coal-fired power plants across the United States was responsible for at least 460,000 deaths over the past two decades, causing twice as many premature deaths as previously estimated, new research reveals.

November 14, 2023

At a U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing today, Republican politicians repeated disproven claims about the impact of the Biden administration’s proposed carbon pollution standards for fossil fuel power plants, wrongly alleging the standards would raise costs for consumers and threaten energy reliability.

October 19, 2023

Environmental and community groups are seeking to join EPA in a lawsuit defending the agency’s action to eliminate unlawful air pollution loopholes from state air operating permitting programs against a challenge from industrial polluters.

October 2, 2023

On Friday, Sierra Club took a significant step in its ongoing effort to compel the EPA to enforce federal air quality standards set nearly a decade ago under the Obama administration by filing a lawsuit that requires EPA to recognize the failure of many states to submit compliance plans for reducing smog levels in their communities.

September 22, 2023

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.

September 1, 2023

PHOENIX, AZ -- Today, Sierra Club filed a suit in Maricopa County Superior Court challenging the Arizona Corporation Commission’s (ACC) decision to approve Salt River Project’s revised proposal to expand the gas-fired Coolidge Generating Station in Pinal County, Arizona.

August 21, 2023

Today, EPA announced it will abandon its ongoing reconsideration of the current underprotective air quality standards for ozone and restart the rulemaking process.

August 16, 2023

Today, the Edison Electric Institute announced Trump Administration Energy Secretary and fossil fuel executive Dan Brouillette will lead the utility lobbying association.