Today, the House Committee on Energy & Commerce is holding a markup of three Congressional Review Act disapproval resolutions that would overturn the Biden administration’s particulate matter, 111 power plants, and heavy-duty vehicles standards. In anticipation of the hearing, Earthjustice Vice President of Policy and Legislation Raúl García issued the following statement:

“Today’s hearing is a partisan attempt to roll back some of the Biden administration’s most consequential environmental protections that are saving lives and fighting climate change. Together these rules not only lower emissions, they also tackle sources of dangerous pollutants that are poisoning communities, exacerbating respiratory illnesses, and making people sick. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued these regulations to reduce pollution and protect our health, and this hearing is nothing more than an effort to undermine that noble mission at the behest and benefit of polluting industries. We urge Congress to stand firm in rejecting these attacks on standards that are saving lives and helping us meet our climate goals.”

Background

Early this year, the Environmental Protection Agency updated a suite of standards to address sources of air pollution and planet-warming emissions.

• Clean Air Act sections 111(b) and 111(d): The 111(b) rule limits carbon pollution from new power plants that run on fossil gas. The finalized 111(d) rule sets the first ever carbon emissions guidelines for existing coal plants, and EPA has committed to take a comprehensive approach to cover the entire fleet of gas-fired power plants, including climate, toxic and criteria air pollution.
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards:The EPA strengthened standards for particulate matter air pollution, commonly known as soot. This final rule will reduce the harms of deadly air pollution for communities across the country, including for those who already experience disproportionate pollution burdens, such as Black, Latino, and low-income households.
• Heavy Duty Truck Standards: The Environmental Protection Agency announced final standards to lower tailpipe emissions from heavy-duty trucks. The standards will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from trucks. Earthjustice argued that the standards should have gone further to spur our transition to zero-emissions transportation technology and protect communities impacted by our dirty freight system.