Fifteen states and DC join to sue EPA for delay in new ozone designations

Denver smog. Image credit: Flickr

Fifteen states are joining together to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because it has stalled the designation of areas impacted by ozone. The states involved in the lawsuit include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. Excessive ozone can cause respiratory issues and can contribute to haze and smog. The lawsuit stems from the delay in implementing new national air quality standards - designations should be issued by October 1, 2017; however, EPA Administrator Pruitt stalled the deadline to October 1, 2018. Requiring air quality improvements throughout the country can help improve background ozone, which exists naturally and from man-made sources.

Note: Larimer and Weld counties are part of the northern subarea for the Denver-North Front Range 8-hour Ozone Non-Attainment Area, but Colorado is currently not part of this lawsuit.

For more information, read the article in Governing. For more information about ozone and its impacts, visit the NFRMPO's What is Ozone? website and visit Simple Steps, Better Air.