Uphold clean air standards, protect public health from pollution

The EPA's decision to set up an email portal for fossil fuel companies to request exemptions from clean air pollution standards is unconscionable. Weakening these vital safeguards will endanger public health by increasing the release of toxic pollutants like mercury, arsenic, and carcinogens into the air we breathe. Air pollution is already linked to tens of thousands of premature deaths annually in the United States. This proposal prioritizes corporate profits over protecting people's lives and wellbeing. The technology to meet current air pollution limits has existed for years, so there is no legitimate basis for granting widespread exemptions that undermine enforcement of the Clean Air Act. This abuse of presidential authority intended only for narrow national security purposes is improper and unjustified. Rather than enabling fossil fuel companies to evade clean air regulations through a rigged process, the EPA must uphold its core mission of environmental protection. I urge you to abandon this outrageous proposal immediately and enforce existing air quality standards against polluting industries without exception. The American people deserve to breathe clean air free from toxic pollution.