| Houston, Texas – Harris County is joining a multi-state coalition opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) move to reverse protections against certain types of air pollution, reinforcing the County’s commitment to defending strong air quality protections for our community. “Just last year, the EPA strengthened these standards after finding that this type of pollution is dangerous. Now, the agency is asking the court to undo those same protections, despite its own science showing the risks. Our neighborhoods and communities deserve regulations grounded in facts. Undoing these standards puts vulnerable communities at risk and ignores the science meant to protect them,” said Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee. The EPA is seeking to weaken the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter (PM NAAQS), which it adapted just last year under the Federal Clean Air Act. This move directly conflicts with the EPA’s own published findings, including its classification of PM2.5 as the particle size posing the greatest risk to human health and visibility. “Residents of Harris County aren’t wrong for wanting to breathe clean air; the Trump EPA is wrong for wanting to discard the protections in place for the public’s safety,” added Menefee. “These standards protect vulnerable communities, and eliminating them only further endangers their well-being. No community should have to suffer, especially at the hands of agencies meant to protect them. Harris County will continue to defend stronger air quality protections for all residents.” In April 2024, Harris County intervened in a lawsuit brought by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenging the newly adopted standards. When setting the standards, the Biden EPA praised the new regulations and estimated they could prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths nationwide. If the standards are eliminated, the EPA would no longer be able to enforce limits on dangerous pollution levels or require state agencies like TCEQ to address NAAQS violations. The coalition includes more than 15 states, all urging the court to reject the EPA’s request and keep the stronger standards in place to protect communities nationwide. To read the full filing, click here. |