STATE PLANS TO SUE EPA: Michael Dresser of the Sun writes about that the Hogan administration notified the federal Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday that it plans to file a lawsuit alleging the agency has failed to act against states whose smokestack emissions pollute Maryland’s air.
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Maryland Secretary of the Environment Ben H. Grumbles notified EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt of the potential legal action in a letter on Thursday, saying Maryland’s air quality suffers because of the nitrogen oxide emissions from five other states, writes Josh Hicks for the Post.
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In Bryan Sears’ article for the Daily Record he quotes Grumbles’ letter: “To date, the EPA has not taken action on Maryland’s … petition nor has the EPA scheduled or held a public hearing on the matter, despite its legal obligation to do so. Consequently, the State of Maryland is writing to provide notice that it intends to file suit against the administrator and the EPA for failing to perform a nondiscretionary duty under the Clean Air Act on Maryland’s petition.”
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Rachel Baye of WYPR-FM reports that 19 power plants in upwind states already have the technology to control the amount of nitrogen oxides released into the air, Grumbles says, but they aren’t using it during the summer, when it’s needed most. As a result, Maryland’s urban areas may not meet new, more stringent Clean Air Act requirements without reducing the smog from other states.