After Being Pressured by Public Health Groups, Pruitt Releases Designations for New Smog Pollution Standard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt designated 51 areas in the United States as out of compliance with the new, stronger smog pollution standard of 70 parts per billion, but omitted important areas that are likely out of compliance based on earlier scientific findings. The designations, which were supposed to be released last year and were released today due to a court order, will trigger the process of requiring “out of attainment” areas to reduce their air pollution to meet the standard.

The designations may also trigger challenges from parent groups, public health advocates, and medical associations that disagree with Pruitt’s designations - particularly those that have changed from initial assessments. One of the biggest points of contention for the designations is Racine County, Wisconsin, the site of a proposed massive new manufacturing facility.

Racine County was originally deemed out of compliance after a earlier review by EPA staff before the manufacturing facility began construction. However, after strong lobbying by Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker, the County was given attainment status with today’s designation -- a decision that suggests Pruitt is once again flaunting the law and federal ethics protocols for political favors.  

In response, Mary Anne Hitt, Senior Director  of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, released the following statement:

“For many communities, cutting smog pollution is a matter of life and death. However, the designations released today are late and are far from perfect --  leaving too many families breathing dangerously dirty air. These designations leave out many areas previously known to be out of compliance, which will leave families choking on dirty air as polluters profit. We’re seeing areas with questionable air quality let off the hook, which is a clear sign that corporate polluters’ dirty fingerprints are all over Pruitt’s plan.

“Everyone deserves clean air and is entitled to the full protections of the Clean Air Act. That’s why parents, public health advocates, and medical associations condemned Pruitt’s initial delay of today’s designations. We will be examining Pruitt’s conduct and decisions on these designations very closely, and we will fight any attempts to disregard the science or the American people’s right to clean air. ”