The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reinstated a policy requiring major polluters to maintain stringent emissions controls, reversing a key Trump-era environmental rollback.
Maxine Joselow reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- The EPA has strengthened the "Once In, Always In" rule, which mandates continuous pollution controls for facilities emitting toxic substances like arsenic and benzene.
- Trump’s 2020 rollback of the rule allowed facilities to increase emissions, but the new regulation aims to restore stricter standards.
- While some industrial sources may still downgrade their classification, most will remain subject to tougher emissions regulations.
Key quote:
“Families and communities living near major polluting sources, as does everyone else in this country, deserve to breathe clean air that won’t make them sick.”
— Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association
Why this matters:
Toxic pollutants from industrial plants pose serious health risks, especially to low-income communities near these facilities. Strengthening pollution controls can help reduce cancer and other health problems caused by long-term exposure.
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