Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news EPA to Halt Consideration of Health Economic Benefits in Air Pollution Regulations: Implications for Environmental Policy
  • Local news

EPA to Halt Consideration of Health Economic Benefits in Air Pollution Regulations: Implications for Environmental Policy

    EPA says it will stop calculating the economic savings to health in key air pollution rules
    Up next
    'After marriage for just three months, I became a widow aged 27'
    Heartbreaking Journey: Navigating Widowhood at 27 After Just 3 Months of Marriage
    Published on 13 January 2026
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • air,
    • Brigit Hirsch,
    • Business,
    • calculating,
    • Climate,
    • Donald Trump,
    • economic,
    • Environment,
    • EPA,
    • health,
    • Joe Biden,
    • John Walke,
    • key,
    • pollution,
    • rules,
    • savings,
    • says,
    • stop,
    • The,
    • U.S. news,
    • Washington news,
    • will
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest


    WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a significant shift in its approach to evaluating air pollution regulations. The agency will no longer factor in the financial savings from reduced healthcare costs and the prevention of deaths when assessing rules that target two major pollutants.

    This policy change signifies a shift in focus for rules concerning fine particulate matter and ozone, prioritizing industrial costs. It aligns with President Donald Trump’s administration’s broader strategy to adopt a more business-centric stance, which has also involved the reversal of several health and environmental protections aimed at mitigating climate change.

    In a statement released late Monday, the EPA emphasized its dedication to its core mission of safeguarding public health and the environment, despite opting not to monetize the health impacts currently. The agency will persist in evaluating the costs incurred by businesses to comply with these regulations and will continue enhancing its economic assessment methodologies, according to spokeswoman Brigit Hirsch.

    Environmental and public health advocates have expressed strong opposition to the EPA’s decision, arguing that it represents a significant deviation from its fundamental responsibilities.

    John Walke, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, criticized the move, stating, “The EPA’s duty is to protect public health, not overlook scientific evidence to dismantle air quality protections that save lives.”

    Walke further described the alteration in health benefit calculations as “reckless, dangerous, and illegal,” warning that ignoring genuine health benefits allows industry to degrade air quality while communities bear the consequences in the form of asthma, heart disease, and premature deaths.

    The change in how the EPA calculates health benefits was first reported by The New York Times.

    The move is part of the EPA’s broader change in approach

    The move comes as the Trump administration is seeking to abandon a rule that sets tough standards for deadly soot pollution, arguing that the Biden administration did not have authority to set the tighter standard on pollution from tailpipes, smokestacks and other industrial sources.

    In a court filing in November, the EPA said the Biden-era rule was done “without the rigorous, stepwise process that Congress required” and was therefore unlawful.

    The EPA said it continues to recognize the “clear and well-documented benefits” of reducing fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5, and ozone.

    “Not monetizing DOES NOT equal not considering or not valuing the human health impact,” Hirsch said in an emailed statement, saying the agency remains committee to human health.

    Since the EPA’s creation more than 50 years ago, Republican and Democratic administrations have used different estimates to assign monetary value to a human life in cost-benefit analyses.

    Under former President Joe Biden, the EPA estimated that its proposed rule on PM2.5 would prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths and 290,000 lost workdays by 2032. For every $1 spent on reducing PM2.5, the agency said, there could be as much as $77 in health benefits.

    But the Trump administration contends that these estimates are misleading. By failing to include ranges or other qualifying statements, EPA’s use of specific estimate “leads the public to believe the Agency has a better understanding of the monetized impacts of exposure to PM2.5 and ozone than in reality,” the agency said in an economic impact analysis for the new NOx rule.

    “Therefore, to rectify this error, the EPA is no longer monetizing benefits from PM2.5 and ozone but will continue to quantify the emissions until the Agency is confident enough in the modeling to properly monetize those impacts.”

    The United States has made substantial progress in reducing PM2.5 and ozone concentrations since 2000, the agency said.

    Critics warn the change poses risks to human health

    But critics said a new EPA rule that revises emission limits for dangerous nitrogen oxide pollution from new gas-burning turbines used in power plants demonstrates the risks of the new approach.

    Emissions of nitrogen oxide, also known as NOx, form smog and soot that is harmful to human health and linked to serious heart and lung diseases. EPA’s final NOx rule, issued Monday, is substantially less restrictive than a proposal under the Biden administration. For some gas plants, the rule weakens protections in place for two decades.

    The new rule does not estimate the economic value of health benefits from reducing NOx and other types of air pollution under the Clean Air Act. Critics said the change means EPA will ignore the economic value of lives saved, hospital visits avoided and lost work and school days prevented.

    Under Trump, the EPA “recklessly refuses to place any value on protecting the health of millions of Americans from nitrogen oxides pollution in the face of mountains of medical science finding that this pollution contributes to asthma attacks, heart disease and other serious health problems.” said Noha Haggag, a lawyer for the Environmental Defense Fund, another environmental group.

    “EPA is leaving millions of people in harm’s way when common sense solutions are at hand for modern national limits on nitrogen oxides pollution,” Haggag said.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    Florida woman faces multiple charges after ‘punching trooper in the face’ during ICE encounter, AG says
    • Local news

    Florida Woman Charged with Assault After Alleged ICE Encounter Turns Violent: Attorney General Reports

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Authorities arrested a woman on Tuesday following an altercation…
    • Internewscast
    • January 16, 2026

    YWCA to Organize Youth-Focused Event in Honor of MLK Day

    The YWCA of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia is gearing up to…
    • Internewscast
    • January 15, 2026
    ‘Deplorable:’ Cockroach-infested home sparks arrest of Central Florida couple
    • Local news

    Central Florida Couple Arrested After Cockroach Infestation Discovered in Home

    A couple from Palm Coast, Florida, has been taken into custody following…
    • Internewscast
    • January 15, 2026

    Bristol Man Arrested: Major Drug Bust Uncovered in Virginia Home

    In an unfolding case that has caught local attention, a man from…
    • Internewscast
    • January 16, 2026

    Marion Police Chief Unveils Shocking Child Sex Crime Probe Linked to Ex-Substitute Teacher

    In Marion, Virginia, a 50-year-old man named Robert Nolan Wolfe found himself…
    • Internewscast
    • January 16, 2026
    Why you may want to run your pool overnight in Florida when it’s freezing
    • Local news

    Florida Freeze Alert: Discover Why Running Your Pool Overnight Can Prevent Damage and Save Costs

    ORLANDO, Fla. – As temperatures plunge, it’s crucial to remember the essential…
    • Internewscast
    • January 16, 2026

    Governor Youngkin’s Final State of the Commonwealth Address: Key Highlights and Future Outlook

    Virginia’s outgoing Governor, Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, is set to deliver his…
    • Internewscast
    • January 15, 2026
    European troops arrive in Greenland as talks with US highlight 'disagreement' over island's future
    • Local news

    European Forces Land in Greenland Amidst US Negotiations Highlighting Divergent Views on Island’s Future

    NUUK – In a significant move to strengthen security in Greenland, military…
    • Internewscast
    • January 15, 2026
    FLORIDA FREEZE: When do frigid temps arrive, how low will they go & how long will they last?
    • Local news

    Florida Braces for Cold Snap: Anticipated Arrival, Temperature Lows, and Duration

    ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is bracing for an intense cold front…
    • Internewscast
    • January 15, 2026
    NYC nurses on strike set to resume negotiations with hospitals on 4th day of walkout
    • Local news

    NYC Nurses Strike: Critical Negotiations with Hospitals to Resume on Day 4

    NEW YORK – Nurses in New York City, currently on strike, are…
    • Internewscast
    • January 15, 2026

    Kingsport’s Historic State Theater Set for Revival as City Plans Strategic Acquisition

    KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — In an effort to revitalize a cherished downtown…
    • Internewscast
    • January 15, 2026

    Carter County Drug Trafficking Suspect Faces New Murder Charge

    In a significant development stemming from an ongoing investigation, a young man…
    • Internewscast
    • January 15, 2026
    Renee Good suffered FOUR gunshot wounds
    • News

    Survivor’s Strength: Renee Good Endures and Overcomes Four Gunshot Wounds in Miraculous Recovery

    Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot during…
    • Internewscast
    • January 16, 2026

    Open Heaven 16 January 2026 – What Is Man? (6)

    Open Heaven 16 January 2026 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A.…
    • Internewscast
    • January 16, 2026
    Teddi Mellencamp's dad shares update about 'really sick' star
    • News

    Exclusive Update: John Mellencamp Reveals Teddi’s Health Battle – What Fans Need to Know

    Teddi Mellencamp’s father has shared a concerning update about his…
    • Internewscast
    • January 16, 2026
    Kankakee man Nicholas Monacelli charged with hate crime after Vinisha Sherrod injured at Mac & Frankie's bar in Bradley: Police
    • US

    Kankakee Resident Nicholas Monacelli Faces Hate Crime Charges Following Injury to Vinisha Sherrod at Bradley’s Mac & Frankie’s Bar, Police Report

    BRADLEY, Ill. — A man from the suburb of Bradley is now…
    • Internewscast
    • January 16, 2026
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.