Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicated that it is taking a comprehensive approach to safeguard communities and cut pollution from fossil-fueled power plants.

Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen issued the following statement in response:

“Cleaning up pollution from fossil power plants is absolutely essential to address climate change and restore clean air and water in communities across the country. We applaud EPA as it moves to finalize urgently needed standards for existing coal plants and new gas plants, and we agree that we must have comprehensive solutions for fossil gas plant pollution.

“EPA’s planned approach will protect people from toxic pollution while meeting the climate imperative to deliver clean power. This more ambitious strategy will enable EPA to consider technologies that were not considered in its initial proposal and ensure that new standards do not shift pollution to dirty, uncontrolled plants and the communities they pollute.

“These standards are an urgent priority, and we are confident that EPA can move forward expeditiously. We look forward to working with the Biden administration to protect people at the front lines of fossil fuel pollution while delivering on the President’s climate commitments.”