Weekly Focus

Court Ruling Bolsters Regulators’ Need For ‘Events’ Waivers As Fires Rage

September 2, 2021
As massive wildfires continue to burn in western states, the recent ruling upholding EPA’s air-standards waiver for Arizona based on ozone from distant fires highlights the growing importance of such exemptions to regulators faced with increasing impacts, though some fear they are not adequately protecting public health from such “exceptional events.” One western state air quality official says the ruling will assist state, local and tribal regulators in avoiding nonattainment designations for national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) when there...


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