15 states appeal EPA delay of stricter air-quality standards

WASHINGTON — Attorneys general from 15 states and the District of Columbia are suing over the Trump administration's delay of Obama-era rules reducing emissions of smog-causing air pollutants.

The states filed Tuesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals of the D.C. Circuit. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt announced in June he was extending deadlines by at least a year for compliance with the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is among those filing suit. He says Pruitt's delay puts the profits of polluters before public health.

Fossil-fuel industry groups have urged the agency to roll back the requirements. Ground-level ozone can trigger life-threatening breathing problems, causing thousands of premature deaths each year.

An EPA spokeswoman says the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

Michael Biesecker, The Associated Press

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