Be sure to join tomorrows' webinar entitled "Understanding How EPA Clean Air Rules are Derived." Our panelists' thought-provoking presentations will be sure to foster a lively and informative discussion! To register for the event, please click here.

Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia threw out a high-profile clean air rule from the EPA by a vote of 2-1. The judges ruled that the EPA exceeded its statutory authority under the Clean Air Act when imposing the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which was challenged by more than a dozen states, several utilities, and other industry and labor groups. 

The state of Alaska recently filed suit to stop the implementation of an EPA rule that will drastically reduce the amount of sulfur in bunker fuel used by ships within 200 miles of the United States. Starting in August, ships must cut sulfur levels from 2.7 percent to 1 percent in their fuel and then down to 0.1 percent by 2015. The EPA estimates the rule would prevent 12,000 to 31,000 premature deaths per year, but the state contends that low-sulfur fuel is not widely available and could add tremendous costs for their residents because nearly all consumer goods are delivered via ocean-going vessels.

On February 10, several states filed a lawsuit in a U.S. District Court in New York to require the EPA to issue more stringent air quality requirements for soot emissions. The states filed their suit in response to the agency missing an October 2011 deadline to update its standards for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) or soot, which is produced by diesel vehicle emissions and power plants. Many health problems are linked to particulate matter emissions such as respiratory illness, heart disease, and asthma.