Clean Air News

Ohio PIRG Hails Ruling As A Tremendous Victory for Public Health, Environment – Calls on State Legislature To Reject Similar Rollback

As the new home of Ohio PIRG's environmental work, Environment Ohio can be contacted regarding this news release. 

COLUMBUS—A federal appeals court today stuck down a highly controversial air pollution rule that was a centerpiece of the Bush administration’s environmental agenda.

“Today’s ruling that rejects the Bush administration’s attempt to create a gaping loophole in the Clean Air Act is a tremendous victory for public health and the environment,” said Erin Bowser, Ohio PIRG Director.

The 2003 rule gutted key provisions of the Clean Air Act, known as New Source Review, that require power plants and other industrial sources of air pollution to install modern pollution controls when they make physical or operational changes that increase emissions. In December 2003, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia blocked implementation of the rule, pending its review of the case. Today the court struck down the rule, saying it violates the Clean Air Act. The court’s decision is available at http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinions/200603/03-1380a.pdf.

Next week the Ohio legislature may vote on an industry-crafted bill (SB265 and HB496) that weakens air standards for Ohio’s 74,000 smaller pollution sources, and even includes a roll back that will make it much more difficult for the Ohio EPA to require that polluters use the best available pollution controls as a way to reduce toxic emissions.

“We hope that elected officials will understand the scope of these rollbacks and reject them.” stated Bowser.