Dirty Politics: EPA Delays Air Quality Standards for Smog Until After 2024 Election, Sacrificing Public Health for Votes

In an unexpected move by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), plans to tighten air quality standards for ground-level ozone, also known as smog, have been delayed until after the 2024 presidential election. This decision, made by EPA Administrator Michael Regan, goes against the recommendation of a scientific advisory panel that advocated for lower air pollution limits to safeguard public health.

Regan justified this delay by stating his intention to initiate a new statutory review of the ozone standard and air quality criteria. While he claims that the review aims to ensure that air quality standards adhere to the latest scientific findings, it raises suspicions about the politicization of our country's clean air efforts.

By postponing the update of one of the EPA's most crucial air quality regulations for at least two years, Regan conveniently avoids a potentially contentious battle with industry groups and Republicans who have long criticized what they perceive as intrusive EPA regulations on power plants, refineries, and automobiles. It seems that political considerations are being prioritized over the health and well-being of the American people.

This delay is reminiscent of a similar move made by the Obama administration in 2011, when plans to tighten ozone standards were shelved until after the election. This resulted in a four-year delay before the standards were finally updated in 2015. It is disheartening to witness history repeating itself, with the Democratic administration again deferring action on ozone standards during an election year.

The EPA's decision disregards the recommendations put forth by their own Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, both of which urged the agency to lower the current ozone standard of 70 parts per billion. This disregard for scientific expertise is concerning and undermines the credibility of the EPA as a guardian of public health and environmental protection.

While Regan claims that the delay will allow for a more thorough review and consideration of scientific evidence, it raises doubts about the agency's commitment to prioritizing clean air and public health over optics going into a presidential election.

The promise of workshops and a review plan for action in late 2024 indicates that a final decision on the matter could still be years away, further prolonging the risks associated with higher ozone pollution levels.