Brian Willis: 202.675.2386, Brian.Willis@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Scott Pruitt, flouted a significant legal deadline yesterday, declining to implement new, stronger clean air protections against smog pollution by October 2nd - as required by the Clean Air Act. Pruitt was legally obligated to publish EPA’s initial designations of which areas of the country have air quality that meets or violates the new 70 part per billion smog pollution standard. Initial designations are a vital part of implementing the new standard because all requirements to improve air quality are keyed to the date of the designations.
In response, Matthew Gravatt, Sierra Club’s Associate Director of Federal and Administrative Advocacy, released the following statement:
“It’s an outrage that Scott Pruitt just willfully ignored his legal and moral obligation to keep American communities safe from dangerous air pollution that sends children to the hospital. His lack of respect for the millions of families across the country that are suffering from air pollution perfectly illustrates the disregard for the law that is plaguing the Trump Administration.
“Pruitt is proving again that he has no interest in doing the job he was sworn to do. We will use every legal avenue available to hold him accountable for this blatant disregard for the Clean Air Act and the EPA’s responsibility to keep the public safe from polluters.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.