In December 2020, the Trump administration refused to strengthen the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This decision was made despite the nearly 54.4 million Americans living in counties that experienced unhealthy spikes in particulate matter air pollution. The EPA is now reconsidering this decision, citing the Clean Air Act’s requirement to protect public health and welfare, something that the current standards may not do. Although it is not known when or if changes will be made, the move would signal an important shift toward stricter environmental regulation that would hopefully work to protect the most vulnerable Americans from dangerous air pollution.
