Coalition tells EPA it plans a suit over gas-powered plants
Twenty-one states and four cities led by New York Attorney General Letitia James asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to review and reject the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent repeal of climate regulations at the country’s most polluting power plants. The coalition of Democratic attorneys general, governors and mayors is challenging the EPA’s September decision to revoke the Biden-era rule.
The coalition argues the repeal will put the nation back decades and worsen the climate crisis by “gutting one of the country’s most significant protections,” according to the lawsuit.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said the Trump administration is displaying “callous disregard” for the health of Americans and the environment. “Dismantling these protections is a betrayal of American families, and the stakes are too high to allow this administration to once again put profits over people,” she said in a statement.
The EPA last month announced it would revoke the Biden-era rule, adding that it would take another step to keep future administrations from regulating pollution from power plants.
The agency has said the repeal would save more than $300 billion in costs for the industry and “unleash” American energy. The EPA told news agencies that it does not comment on pending litigation.
The coalition also told the EPA it plans to sue over the agency’s failure to regulate pollution generated by gas-powered power plants.
The coalition includes the states of New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. The cities include New York City, Chicago, Denver and Washington, D.C.