The Trump administration was blindsided Thursday by a surprise lawsuit. 14 states and the District of Columbia teamed up against the Environmental Protection Agency. They claim that the agency’s incompetence is endangering helpless Americans by forcing them to breathe low-quality air.
The lawsuit alleges that the government is failing to enforce reasonable smog standards. Officials allowed an Oct. 1 deadline to pass without designating in areas of the country as having unhealthy air.
If the EPA deems an area to be unhealthy, local governments are pressured into making changes.
“Failing to designate regions who are not complying deprives state and local regulators of crucial regulatory tools not otherwise available… States were required under the law to recommend which areas they believe are not meeting the standards,” notes the New York Post.
“Nationwide, the tighter restrictions were projected to save between 316 and 660 lives each year, prevent nearly 900 hospital visits and keep children from missing 160,000 school days, bringing $4.5 billion in health benefits. That includes up to 218 saved lives and $1.3 billion in savings in California alone from a reduction in health care costs, lost workdays and school absences…”
Maintaining a clean air supply in a dirty city is expensive, but it’s cheaper than paying for a lifetime of lung problems. Health is a sneaky expense because the costs aren’t immediately apparent.
The EPA had a rocky start this year after President Trump appointed former state attorney general Scott Pruitt to lead the agency. Pruitt doesn’t buy into the liberal mythology surrounding climate change.
(Source: New York Post)