Menendez, Lautenberg Respond To Court Decision Striking Down Cross-State Clean Air Standards

NEWARK-U.S. SenatorsFrankR.Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) responded today after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down an importantclean airstandard. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)Cross-State Air Pollution Rule took important steps to protect thehealth of New Jersey families bycutting harmful emissions from power plants in other states, which causesmog and soot pollution in New Jersey.

"Thismisguidedruling takes us a step back in the effort to protect New Jersey families from harmfulairpollution. The court's ruling jeopardizes important efforts to stop out-of-state polluters fromfoulingour air.We must continue fightingfor clean air standardsthat keep pollution from other states from hurting New Jersey children and families,"said Lautenberg.

"I'm incrediblydisappointed bythe D.C. Circuit Court's rulingwhichwill protect out-of-state polluters at the expense of New Jersey residents' health,"said Senator Menendez."New Jersey has spent billions of dollars to make its power sector among the cleanest in the country while some upwind states have allowed old,dirty coal plants to foul New Jersey's air for decades. It is more important than ever for the state and the EPA to use existing authority to crack down on polluters."

The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule required 27 statesin the Eastern U.S.to significantly reduce power plant emissions that contribute to smog or soot pollution in other states. The rule is needed to protect Americans in downwind states, like New Jersey, from the health and economic costs caused by pollution emitted in other states.

It is estimated by EPA that theCross-State Air Pollution Rule(CSAPR)could save up to 34,000 lives, and prevent 15,000 heart attacks, 400,000 asthma attacks and hundreds of thousands of cases of other respiratory ailments every year. In 2014, the rule was estimated to result in up to $280 billion in annual benefits. In New Jersey alone, the rule could save approximately 1,200 lives annually.

Texas and several other parties challenged the legality of the CSAPR in court, and a number of Eastern states moved to intervene in the case on behalf of EPA. Sen. Lautenbergcalled on Governor Chris Christieto join the suit in support of the rule, but the governor did not act.

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