Trump EPA Moves to Roll Back Biden-Era Air Pollution Limits

The Trump administration is seeking to roll back Biden-era limits on fine particulate matter, one of the most widespread and deadly air pollutants, asking a court to vacate the standard.

In 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had tightened limits on these particles, including soot, which can trigger strokes, heart attacks, asthma attacks, and other serious health problems.

On Monday, the EPA under Trump filed a motion in a DC appeals court to drop its defense of the rule, arguing that the Biden administration had failed to follow proper procedures when implementing it.

Biden’s EPA had stated that the stronger standard would “undoubtedly save lives,” noting that exposure disproportionately affects communities of color.

Industry groups and a coalition of states had sued the Biden-era EPA, claiming that the stricter limits would impose costly burdens on manufacturers. The Trump administration has now sided with these petitioners, drawing criticism from environmental and public health advocates.

“Walking away from these clean air standards doesn’t power anything but disease,” said Patrice Simms of Earthjustice.

“Trump’s agenda prioritizes saving corporations money over protecting people’s health, saving lives, or serving children and communities,” added Simms.

Hayden Hashimoto, an attorney at the Clean Air Task Force, emphasized that “the public health and economic benefits of the current standard are tangible.”

The 2024 EPA had projected that maintaining the stronger limits could generate public health savings of up to $46 billion by 2032, including reductions in hospital visits and lost workdays.

The Trump-era EPA’s filing proposes reverting the standards to the 2020 levels established during the president’s first term. The agency is required to review fine-particle pollution standards every five years.