KENNEBEC JOURNAL • September 2, 2023
President Joe Biden ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider dozens of actions taken by the Trump administration. One of the most important was the last-minute decision in December 2020 to keep in place outdated health standards for smog. But now, instead of moving to strengthen the nation’s limits on ozone — the lung-searing gas in smog — the Biden administration is delaying action until after the November 2024 election. Reviewing and updating air quality standards every five years to reflect the latest science, as required by the Clean Air Act, is one of the most important environmental actions a president can take. The nation’s limits on ozone pollution are too permissive. Clean air delayed is clean air denied. ~ Los Angeles Times editorial