Eco groups sue Obama administration

In reaction to federal rejection of a tougher standard for ozone pollution, five health and environmental groups—Earthjustice, the American Lung Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Environmental Defense Fund—filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration on Oct. 11, according to media sources. The groups claim the federal government’s decision was politically driven and not in the best interest of human health.

Lisa P. Jackson, the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator, had proposed an ozone-pollution standard of 70 parts per billion as an improvement on the Bush-era standard of 75 parts per billion currently in place. Obama rejected Jackson’s recommendation, maintaining a tighter ozone policy would be too costly for industries already struggling in a weak economy. He ordered the EPA to conduct further scientific study and produce a new proposal in 2013.