President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency said strict air quality standards were introduced without sufficient consideration.
Published November 26, 2025
President Donald Trump’s administration is moving to roll back strict limits on deadly soot pollution, drawing criticism from environmental groups.
The Trump administration’s latest move to loosen environmental standards comes after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a lawsuit alleging that former President Joe Biden’s administration exceeded its authority when it tightened air quality standards in 2024.
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In a motion filed Monday, lawyers for President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency asked the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to throw out the stricter standards, saying they were introduced without a “rigorous, step-by-step process” required by the Clean Air Act of 1963.
The EPA initially defended the stricter standards, saying the rules would increase costs amid a barrage of legal challenges from Republican-led states and business groups, but reversed course under President Trump-appointed Lee Zeldin.
“EPA has concluded that its previously asserted position is incorrect,” EPA lawyers said in a filing, arguing that the agency should complete “a thorough review of the underlying and corresponding standards” before revising the limits.
Under Biden appointee Michael S. Regan, the Environmental Protection Agency last year significantly lowered the allowable level of soot from 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 9 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
The agency announced at the time that the stricter standards could prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths and 290,000 people out of work by 2032.
When Mr. Zeldin, a former Republican congressman, took office earlier this year, he promised to roll back dozens of environmental regulations as part of what he called “the greatest deregulation in American history.”
Patrice Sims, an environmental attorney with the nonprofit Earthjustice, said lowering air quality standards would have a negative impact on public health.
“President Trump has made clear that his agenda is all about saving corporations money, and that this administration’s EPA has nothing to do with protecting people’s health, saving lives, or serving children, families, and communities,” Sims said in a statement.
“We will continue to uphold this life-saving standard.”
Patrick Drapp, director of climate policy at the Sierra Club, also called the EPA’s move “reckless” and a “complete betrayal” of the agency’s mission.
“This administration continues to strip away access to affordable health care while allowing fossil fuel companies to cut corners and Americans to get sicker,” Drapp said.
