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[KSweeley]

Major news from WaPo, the Trump administration has reversed course and will NOT delay a rule from the Obama administration involving air pollution: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...y-an-obama-ozone-rule/?wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1

August 3, 2017

One day after 16 states sued, the Trump administration reversed its effort to delay Obama administration regulations to curb air pollution that forms smog.

With no mention of the challenges from states such as California, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, who previously said he would delay the Oct. 1 implementation date of a rule to lower the level of ozone emissions from fossil-fuel burning, said in a statement late Wednesday that he would now work “with the states through the complex designation process.”

In the statement, Pruitt asserted that the Clean Air Act gave his agency “the flexibility to allow one additional year for sufficient information to support ozone designations,” and said he might take “future action to use its delay authority.”

Pruitt claimed that it became evident early this summer that “underlying complexities, methodological and information questions” would cause workers to miss the deadline. It was not clear whether any of those challenges existed under the previous administration.

One of the attorneys general who joined the lawsuit against the EPA claimed victory on Thursday.

“On Tuesday, we sued the EPA for blocking vital clean air protections. Last night, the EPA reversed course, withdrawing Administrator Pruitt’s year-long delay of these critical smog regulations,” said New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. “One in three New Yorkers breathe dangerous smog levels. The EPA’s reversal — following our lawsuits – is an important win for the health and safety of the 6.7 million New Yorkers, and the over 115 million Americans, directly impacted by smog pouring into their communities.”

The rule would limit the amount of ground-level ozone — produced when pollutants from cars, oil refineries and other industrial plants react chemically in sunlight — to 70 parts per billion from 75. State health departments, health-care groups such as the American Lung Association and conservation groups link ozone to asthma and other disease that leads to hospitalization and death. The EPA estimated that a drop in the cost of ambulance services, emergency room visits and hospital stays would more than offset the $1.5 billion cost of the rule.

 

[Netherscourge]

Another L for the Trumpster.

 

[PingPongvonLaserstein]

So much winning.

 

[5taquitos]

I thought he wasn't afraid of lawsuits and never settles?

Spoiler

he always settles

 

[Domino Theory]

That thing after K

 

[rjinaz]

Good to know that air pollution isn't FAKE NEWS

 

[MrSaturn99]

Get fucked!

 

[sunshine and gasoline]

Its amazing to see an administration suffer so many defeats in just a few months.

 

[Strike]

So much winning.

I'm surprised he's not tired yet. Must be the stamina.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

Great to hear.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

You know that gif of the north korea dude that looks through binoculars and it's "obama" flipping him off?

We need something like that for trump.

 

[BronsonLee]

The thing to take from this is that backlash clearly matters.

Travel ban, backlash, gone
Transgender ban for military service, backlash, gone
Voting rights committee, backlash, gone
We love pollution, backlash, gone

 

[CazTGG]

Who here's tired of winning?

 

[geomon]

Accomplished more than any other President in the history of ever.

 

[Shauni]

The thing to take from this is that backlash clearly matters.

Travel ban, backlash, gone
Transgender ban for military service, backlash, gone
Voting rights committee, backlash, gone
We love pollution, backlash, gone

Eh, none of these are gone. The Transgender ban never technically existed as of yet, pretty sure the voting committee is still around, and parts of the travel ban are active until the SC takes the case in the fall, though it's limited from the original in many ways.

 

[f0lken]

The thing to take from this is that backlash clearly matters.

Travel ban, backlash, gone
Transgender ban for military service, backlash, gone
Voting rights committee, backlash, gone
We love pollution, backlash, gone

I missed the news on this, they reversed the ban?

 

[SmackCrackleNPop]

I missed the news on this, they reversed the ban?

It was arguably never enacted unless Twitter is legally binding

 

[radioactivez0r]

When's the last time there were so many instances of the states basically fighting against the feds?

 

[inner-G]

I missed the news on this, they reversed the ban?

No generals have said they will implement it or that they were even asked about it beforehand

 

[RPGCrazied]

Damn, Trump got tripled scooped today. And its only 5 pm.

 

[f0lken]

It was arguably never enacted unless Twitter is legally binding

No generals have said they will implement it or that they were even asked about it beforehand

Thanks.

 

[Brandon F]

I missed the news on this, they reversed the ban?

Military made a statement basically saying no changes will be enforced until a proper enacted ruling was considered. Nothing has been brought forward beyond Trump's tweet so far.

 

[darthsontin]

This combined with the Senate turning down the methane rule overturn and action from cities, states, and businesses makes me more hopeful that we an still meet our Paris Agreement goals.

It seems like the most important SCOTUS ruling of this century could be Massachusetts vs. EPA since it requires the EPA to regulate CO2 as a pollutant. I shudder to think the damage Pruitt could do to the planet if that wasn't in place.

 

[CazTGG]

When's the last time there were so many instances of the states basically fighting against the feds?

The Civil War? Unless you mean legally in which case I believe it was when Obamacare became law and the many suits brought all the way up to the Supreme Court.