• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Indiana University IU

Open Search
  • Who We Are
    • Leadership
      • Past Leadership
    • Advisory Boards
    • Researchers
      • Affiliates
    • Staff
    • Vision & Mission
    • Annual Reports
    • Careers
  • Who We Work With
    • Businesses and Nonprofits
    • Educators
    • Faculty
    • Local Governments
      • Resilience Cohort
      • Beat the Heat
      • ERI Toolkit
      • Hoosier Resilience Index
      • Indiana Resilience Funding Hub
    • Residents
      • Hoosier Resilience Heroes
    • Students
  • Programs
    • McKinney Climate Fellows
      • Students
      • Hosts
    • Resilience Cohort
    • Indiana Resilience Funding Hub
    • FARMWISE Indiana
    • Educating for Environmental Change
    • Beat the Heat
    • Hoosier Resilience Heroes
  • Research
  • Resources
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Newsletters
  • Support Our Work
    • Individuals and Families
    • Corporations
    • Foundations
    • Ways to Give
    • Support ISRC
    • Resilient Communities
      • Bloomington
      • Fort Wayne
      • Indianapolis
      • South Bend
    • Contact
  • Study at IU
  • Contact

Environmental Resilience Institute

  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Leadership
    • Advisory Boards
    • Researchers
    • Staff
    • Vision & Mission
    • Annual Reports
    • Careers
  • Who We Work With
    • Businesses and Nonprofits
    • Educators
    • Faculty
    • Local Governments
    • Residents
    • Students
  • Programs
    • McKinney Climate Fellows
    • Resilience Cohort
    • Indiana Resilience Funding Hub
    • FARMWISE Indiana
    • Educating for Environmental Change
    • Beat the Heat
    • Hoosier Resilience Heroes
  • Research
  • Resources
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Newsletters
  • Support Our Work
    • Individuals and Families
    • Corporations
    • Foundations
    • Ways to Give
    • Support ISRC
    • Resilient Communities
    • Contact
  • Search
  • Study at IU
  • Contact
  • Home
  • News & Events
  • News
  • Archive
  • 2019
  • McCabe article analyzes EPA’s weakening of air pollution rules for industry

McCabe article analyzes EPA’s weakening of air pollution rules for industry

By: ERI Staff Writer

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Decorative - a headshot of Janet McCabe
Institute Director Janet McCabe

A new article co-authored by Janet McCabe, director of the Environmental Resilience Institute, details how the Trump Administration is weakening one of the long-established cornerstones of the Clean Air Act to appease industry at the expense of public health.

Published by Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program (EELP), the article examines subtle actions taken by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the effectiveness of a permitting program called New Source Review (NSR), which is designed to ensure that new or expanding facilities use updated air pollution control technologies and meet all federal requirements.

McCabe teamed up with Joseph Goffman, executive director of Harvard Law School’s EELP, and William Niebling, a senior associate at the law firm Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, to write the legal analysis.

Historically, NSR has contributed to overall reductions in air pollution even as facilities expand. Recent changes and proposed changes, however, offer companies early off-ramps from pollution reduction obligations. These changes, among other polluter-friendly actions taken by the EPA, have coincided with a recent rise in air pollution in the US after years of improvement.

“One of the fundamental pillars of the Clean Air Act is that new and expanding factories should get permits before they increase air pollution in American communities. Permits ensure that facilities use required air pollution control equipment and practices to limit emissions and are an important tool for public awareness and accountability,” said McCabe. “A series of EPA proposals is whittling away at the underpinnings of this program. These proposals go far beyond streamlining and would excuse projects that will increase air pollution from important oversight and transparency.”

Additional links and resources

Donation button to Give Now to Environmental Resilience Institute
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Indiana University

Accessibility | College Scorecard | Privacy Notice | Copyright © 2025 The Trustees of Indiana University