Court of Appeals Deals Second Blow to EPA on Clean Air Regs

For the second time, a court has thrown out EPA efforts to address pollution from power plants in 'clean-air' states that cause pollution downwind. This time, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was the victim.

2 minute read

August 25, 2012, 9:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


"Twice in eight years" is how the New York Times editorial addressed Tuesday's (August 21) Appeal Court rejection of the EPA's new rule to "reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in order to help States meet their National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5)", as defined by the 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule.

The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was designed to replace the CAIR. It "requires states to significantly improve air quality by reducing power plant emissions that contribute to ozone and/or fine particle pollution in other states."

"In a 2-to-1 ruling, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the E.P.A. had exceeded its authority in the way it apportioned the cleanup work among 28 upwind states. The court said the E.P.A.'s rule also violated the Clean Air Act because it did not let the states submit their own plans to comply and imposed a federal plan instead.

The Environmental Protection Agency was trying to address a problem that has vexed the air pollution control system for at least three decades: how to deal with states whose own air meets standards but whose power plants, refineries and other industrial plants emit sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollutants that - wind-aided - prevent neighboring states from attaining the level of cleanliness required under federal law.

"At the Sierra Club, Mary Anne Hitt, director of the group's Beyond Coal Campaign, said in a statement, "Americans have been waiting for the clean air they deserve for decades, and the court's ruling today further delays the Clean Air Act's promise of safe, breathable air for our children."

"She estimated the rule could have prevented 34,000 premature deaths a year."

EPA is left with two choices: Go back to the drawing board and hope they don't strike out in a third attempt to satisfy the court - that process will take about three or four years, or appeal the ruling.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012 in The New York Times - Environment

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

4 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

6 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine