EPA Cracks Down on Smog-Forming Pollution from Power Plants

The Biden administration has finalized a rule that requires factories and power plants in 23 Western and Midwestern states to reduce smog-causing pollution that affects Eastern states. The "good neighbor" rule directs industrial facilities to reduce their emissions of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant that causes smog and is linked to asthma, lung disease, and premature death. The revised rule is expected to cut emissions of nitrogen oxide in the affected states by 50% from 2021 levels by 2027, preventing 1,300 premature deaths, avoiding more than 2,300 hospital and emergency room visits, preventing 1.3 million cases of asthma, and avoiding 430,000 lost school days and 25,000 missed work days.