The EPA, which enforces federal environmental laws, said it would stop estimating the economic value of health benefits from reducing ozone and fine particulate matter. This could further expose communities to deadly pollutants.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 12 that it will no longer ascribe an economic value to saving lives and improving public health when considering whether to curb harmful air pollutants. This move could weaken emissions standards and imperil communities exposed to toxic pollution.
The EPA, which enforces federal environmental laws, said it would stop estimating the economic value of health benefits from reducing ozone and fine particulate matter, even though it acknowledges that they contribute to pulmonary disease, heart attacks, and premature deaths.
The EPA has historically estimated both economic costs borne by industry to ensure compliance with a regulation as well as economic costs borne by the public in the absence of such a regulation, including lives lost, illnesses avoided, and productivity gained from reduced sick leave.
When the EPA limited the emission of particulate matter in 2024, it projected that the new rule would prevent 4,500 early deaths, 290,000 lost workdays, and yield up to $46 billion in net health benefits by 2032. It estimated that every $1 spent to meet the tighter standard could return up to $77 in reduced health costs.
Will Disproportionately Affect Black Residents
In announcing the change, the EPA cited uncertainty about the values assigned to the economic benefits of reducing pollutants. While the EPA has used different dollar amounts for different factors since the 1990s, it has never totally done away with calculating their value. While far from perfectly capturing the full benefits of pollution controls, these calculations form a basis from which the agency has assessed benefits to people’s lives and well-being, in addition to increased costs on industry. An agency spokesperson told the New York Times that it would still consider the pollutants’ impact on health without further details.
Human Rights Watch has documented that fossil fuel operations in particular contribute to elevated levels of these pollutants.
In a Louisiana region known as Cancer Alley, nearly 90 percent of particulate matter caused by industry comes from about 200 nearby fossil fuel and petrochemical operations. These operations also emit hazardous pollutants called volatile organic compounds, which can form ozone.
The disproportionately Black residents living on the fencelines of these plants have faced increased risks of cancer, respiratory ailments, and reproductive health harm. Under President Donald Trump, the EPA has closed its environmental justice offices, which were set up to help these communities.
By calculating the economic costs of compliance without the corresponding benefits, the EPA is severely restricting its mission to protect public health and the environment.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Image: Hippopx
