Attorney General Miyares Joins 19-State Coalition Opposing EPA's Excessive Regulation of Air Quality Standards

RICHMOND, VA – Attorney General Jason Miyares joined a 19-state coalition in a letter opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed rule imposing substantial new environmental regulations on power plants and vehicles. The attorneys general argue the EPA's plan will harm our economies, increase energy costs, and threaten the jobs of hardworking Americans in all sorts of industries.

"This is yet another example of harmful federal overreach spurred by the Biden administration that will have a devastating impact on families throughout Virginia,” said Attorney General Miyares. "The Biden administration's cavalier attitude regarding energy prices and the loss of jobs, especially in the energy sector, is appalling. Particularly as families try to overcome an inflation crisis that the Biden administration caused.”

The Clean Air Act directs the EPA to propose air quality standards for certain pollutants to protect public health. In 2020, the EPA made a well-reasoned decision not to adjust the existing National Ambient Air Quality Standards. But after a 2021 executive order by President Biden, the EPA reconsidered its position and imposed onerous new regulations.

In their letter, the attorneys general argue that the proposed rule exceeds the EPA's authority and is merely an attempt to advance President Biden's radical climate goals. The coalition also contends that the EPA's scientific evidence to support the policy change is insufficient.

The attorneys general explain that adopting the EPA's overly burdensome regulations would inflict real harm on state economies. They write that this new policy may "require closing existing manufacturing and industrial facilities” and "such closures will affect not only those individual businesses but also the communities that are built around them.”

Attorney General Miyares joined attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia in sending the letter.

To read the letter, click here.

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