Earth Protect Blog

WASHINGTON » The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a plan that would restrict smokestack emissions from power plants and other industrial sources that burden downwind areas with smog-causing pollution they can’t control.

The federal plan announced Friday is intended to help more than two dozen states meet “good neighbor” obligations under the Clean Air Act.

States that contribute to ground-level ozone, or smog, are required to submit plans ensuring that coal-fired power plants and other industrial sites don’t add significantly to air pollution in other states. In cases where a state has not submitted a “good neighbor” plan — or where the EPA disapproves a state plan — the federal plan would take effect to ensure downwind states are protected.

“Air pollution doesn’t stop at the state line,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. The new federal plan “will help our state partners meet air quality health standards, saving lives and improving public health in smog-affected communities across the United States.”