EPA Says It Will Keep, Defend Obama-Era Ozone Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency will retain the national ozone standards that the Obama administration tightened in 2015, a move praised by environmental groups that favor stricter standards to protect public health.

“The appropriate EPA officials have reviewed the 2015 Rule and have determined that at this time, EPA does not intend to revisit the 2015 Rule,” the Justice Department told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Aug. 1.

The federal agency’s notice to the court about its decision to reconsider the basis of the standards comes after the court announced July 3 that it ...