MiCCA supports court’s decision to uphold federal soot standards
- MiCCA Admin
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
On June 26, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit enforced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to uphold the regulation standards for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) also known as soot. In 2024, The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) established regulations for six common forms of air pollutants under the Clean Air Act, which includes carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particle pollution. Last year, the Trump Administration refused to implement these air quality standards, despite the EPA ruling that these regulations were significant to public health the year before. Earth Justice created a coalition of seventeen different organizations to sue the Administrator of the Trump’s EPA, Lee Zeldin, for not upholding the air quality regulations set in 2024.
In the report the EPA published in 2024 entitled “National Air Quality Health Standard for Particulate Matter”, they stated that short and long term exposures to PM2.5 can increase the risk of respiratory health issues and heart conditions, such as asthma attacks, premature death, and heart attacks.
The EPA estimated that the implementation of these air quality regulations will have a health net benefit of about $46 billion dollars in 2032, avoid about 800,000 cases of asthma-related symptoms, and avoid up to about 4500 premature deaths. It is clear that the new standards set for annual fine particulate matter is crucial for public health, and is a step towards cleaner air across the country and protecting vulnerable communities most affected by air pollution such as children, people of color, and low-income households.
The Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action (MiCCA) stands with the court’s decision for the EPA to implement air quality standards set under the Clean Air Act. This will allow healthcare workers to better advocate for our patients that struggle with respiratory and heart related illnesses exacerbated by air pollution. While also sharing information with others in our practice about the harms of air pollution and why it is important for us to care about climate justice and uplift the voices most affected by climate change and pollution.
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