Green Groups Sue U.S. EPA Over Smog Rule Delay

"NEW YORK - Environmental and public health groups asked a U.S. Appeals Court in a lawsuit filed on Wednesday to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reverse its decision to delay issuing a set of smog cleanup rules.

The groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and Earthjustice, argued the agency's June 6 announcement that it would wait to identify areas of the country where smog pollution is especially heavy until it gathered more information and reviewed existing pollution standards was illegal.

At issue in the lawsuit is a provision in the Clean Air Act that requires the EPA to decide what levels of smog pollution are acceptable, then identify parts of the country where pollution exceeds those levels and enforce their cleanup. The agency released standards and designations in 2008 and 2015, and was due to update them this year."

Emily Flitter reports for Reuters July 12, 2017.