In response to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) exceeding its 90-day deadline for interagency review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Soot Standard, Evergreen Action Power Sector Policy Lead Charles Harper released the following statement: 

“The Biden administration is digging itself into a deeper hole as it continues to miss its own regulatory agenda deadlines. Yesterday was the final day in the 90-day period for interagency review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for particulate matter—or the National Soot Standard. The Biden agenda for national air and water quality standards are mission critical if the administration hopes to achieve the president’s clean air and public health commitments, yet these rules keep getting pushed back time and time again. EPA had previously announced the National Soot Standard proposal would be released in August. Now, the administration is violating Executive Order 12866, which allows OMB to hold rules for no longer than 90 days. 

“At this point, it’s simply unacceptable and irresponsible for EPA to be this far behind on its own agenda. These rules directly impact living, breathing communities around this country: soot causes up to 200,000 excess deaths in the U.S. per year, and disproportionately harms Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. The administration needs to elevate its sense of urgency on its air pollution and climate priorities in order to drive down pollution in the most polluting sectors of our economy. President Biden must move further, faster. Lives depend on it.” 

In October, Evergreen Action released Falling Behind: A Report Card on the EPA’s Progress on 10 Important Power Sector Rules, which reviewed EPA’s progress on the regulations that are key to cutting air and climate pollution from power plants, including the National Soot Standard. Only 1 out of 10 rules are currently on track. You can read the full review of EPA’s progress, along with our recommendations here.

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