The Trump administration is vying to roll back Bidenera limits on one of the most widespread deadly air pollutants, asking a court to vacate the standard. The Environmental Protection Agency in 2024 had strengthened limits on fine particulate matter, including soot, which can lead to health problems including strokes, heart attacks and asthma attacks. But recently the EPA, now under Trump leadership, filed a motion moving to drop defense of the rule in a DC appeals court, saying that Joe Biden’s White House had failed to follow necessary procedures to institute it. The EPA under former president Biden had said the stronger standard would ‘undoubtedly save lives.’ Exposure to the particles disproportionately impacts US communities of color.
industry petitioners and a coalition of states sued Biden’s EPA over the matter, saying the new standards would burden manufacturers and that compliance was too expensive.