Trump’s EPA plans to ignore health effects of air pollution

The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to change how it evaluates the costs and benefits of air pollution regulations. The proposed changes would exclude the health effects of air pollution and the corresponding economic value of saving lives when analyzing the impact of new policies. This shift in the EPA's approach is seen as a departure from established practices used by previous administrations. The current method, which assigns a monetary value to the lives saved by pollution regulations, has been a key factor in justifying and implementing air quality standards. Critics argue that the proposed changes would undermine the EPA's ability to protect public health and the environment effectively. They claim the move is driven by a desire to ease regulations on industries, potentially leading to increased air pollution and associated health risks for the general population. The planned policy change is part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to reshape environmental regulations and promote economic growth, even if it comes at the expense of public health considerations.