Trump’s EPA Could Limit Its Own Ability to Use New Science to Strengthen Air Pollution Rules

During the Trump administration, the EPA began reconsidering its legal authority to update air pollution regulations based on new scientific findings. This reevaluation stems from arguments by chemical companies that the EPA cannot revise hazardous air pollution rules to account for newly discovered harms if they have been revised once already, regardless of new information. Environmentalists fear this could significantly limit the EPA's ability to regulate nearly 200 pollutants from thousands of industrial plants. The potential change could prevent the EPA from reacting to new scientific evidence revealing increased toxicity or underestimated pollution levels. The EPA has not directly addressed the concerns but stated it is reviewing multiple air pollution rules, including those for chemical plants and commercial sterilizers, and is committed to using the "gold standard of science."

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