SACRAMENTO (Legal Newsline) — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced a lawsuit Dec. 7 against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the agency’s alleged failure to designate certain areas across the nation as having too much smog.
“Smog causes various health problems, particularly in children, outdoor workers, and asthma sufferers. It is therefore imperative that the EPA implement these smog-reducing standards as mandated by the Clean Air Act,” Becerra said. “The California Department of Justice refuses to let the EPA blatantly violate the Clean Air Act. We will continue doing everything in our power to ensure that the EPA does what it is supposed to do: protect our environment. Lives can be saved if the EPA implements these standards.”
According to Becerra, the EPA was supposed to designate unhealthy smog zones by Oct. 1 as part of the Clean Air Act but have failed to so.
“Public health research shows that smog can make people sick, particularly those most vulnerable, including children,” CARB executive officer Richard Corey said. “Despite reducing emissions from motor vehicles and other sources, improvements become more difficult as the climate warms. While CARB and the air districts do their part to protect public health, the federal government needs to do its part.”
Joining California in the lawsuit are New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.