Thanks to federal courts closing a much-abused loophole, the Environmental Protection Agency is no longer hell-bent on environmental destruction. I'm not kidding. The current political administration has allowed power plants and large factories to take advantage of a legal loophole, making them exempt from measuring and reporting their toxic emissions.

Fighting this loophole on behalf of creatures with lungs, Earthjustice filed a challenge with the U.S. Court of Appeals which in turn agreed that the EPA had violated their own Clean Air Act standards. Not only that, but the EPA had actually prohibited state agencies from requiring stronger pollution control standards. Thankfully, that law has now been overturned.

“This is a huge victory for everyone who breathes,” stated Earthjustice attorney Keri Powell. Agreed. Who else is going to protect us if we don’t protect ourselves?

Image: timparkinson