Senate Votes to Roll Back Clean Air Act Rule on Toxic Air Pollutants

In a landmark reversal of Clean Air Act protections, the U.S. Senate voted 52-46 to repeal an EPA rule requiring continuous pollution controls for some of the most hazardous airborne toxins, including mercury and dioxins. The regulation, finalized under President Biden, applied to over 1,800 industrial sites and targeted emissions linked to cancer, neurological damage, and other serious health conditions.

The House of Representatives and former President Trump, if he returns to office, are expected to support the rollback, which would mark the first time in the Clean Air Act's 55-year history that Congress has dismantled existing pollution protections.

Critics argue the repeal will disproportionately harm low-income communities and communities of color located near industrial plants already facing elevated health risks. Proponents claim the regulation imposes undue burdens on businesses. The move is seen as a major victory for the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries, which heavily lobbied for its repeal.

05-05-2025