Trump EPA Loses Bid to Scrap Biden Soot Rule as Appeals Court Upholds Standard

A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration EPA’s attempt to abandon a Biden-era soot pollution rule, leaving in place a stricter national standard for fine particle pollution.

The D.C. Circuit denied challenges to the 2024 rule, which lowered the annual PM2.5 standard from 12 to 9 micrograms per cubic meter. The court also denied EPA’s own request to vacate the rule, saying the agency’s new arguments lacked merit.

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The ruling matters because the Clean Air Act requires national air-quality standards to be set around public health, not industry cost concerns. EPA previously projected the rule could prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths and produce up to $46 billion in net health benefits in 2032.

Environmental groups and California Attorney General Rob Bonta praised the decision and urged EPA to implement the standard. EPA said it is reviewing the ruling.

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