02-07-2025
EPA approves laxer air quality program for West Virginia
EPA has given final sign-off to a West Virginia haze reduction plan over the objections of parks advocates who say that it will set back long-term headway in clearing the air in dozens of iconic locales around the country.
'Gone are the days of burying our states in administrative nonsense,' EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a Tuesday news release announcing approval of the state's plan under what is formally known as the regional haze program.
The approval marks a reversal of the agency's stance under the Biden administration and sets a precedent for other states seeking to relax their haze control regimens.
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While EPA press aides did not respond Tuesday to requests for a copy of the final rule, the draft version released in April signaled a major policy change that effectively makes it easier for states to meet haze reduction goals for 156 national parks and wilderness areas without imposing new pollution control requirements on power plants and other industries.
