A Major Win for Clean Air and Public Health: Attorney General Bonta Secures Court Order Requiring Implementation of Life-Saving Soot Standard

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today secured a legal victory after the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued a decision granting California's motion for summary judgment and requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to move forward with implementation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The court's decision denies the EPA's motion to hold the case in abeyance and rejects EPA’s arguments against the lawsuit. In April, Attorney General Bonta and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) led a multistate coalition in fiing a lawsuit against the EPA over its failure to implement a lifesaving 2024 Clean Air Act rule strengthening NAAQS for fine particulate matter, commonly known as soot. Soot is a deadly air pollutant emitted from a variety of sources including combustion-engine vehicles, factories, and construction sites. Because of the particles’ small size, once inhaled, they can penetrate the lower parts of lungs, move out of the respiratory system, and affect other organs. As a result, soot exposure can lead to myriad health problems, including shortened lifespans, heart attacks, asthma attacks, and cancer.

“Every community deserves the opportunity to breathe clean air, and today’s decision brings us one step closer to that goal, clearing the way for protections that will save lives and reduce harmful air pollution in communities across the country,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The Trump Administration must now move swiftly to fully implement and enforce this life-saving soot standard. Every day of delay means more Americans are exposed to dangerous levels of pollution. My office will continue to monitor implementation to ensure that these clean air safeguards are carried out as the law requires.” 

“This win underscores the importance of fighting back against the federal government’s reckless and harmful actions,” said California Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez. “The law is still on our side and we will ensure the US EPA fulfills its responsibility to protect public health – not polluting industries.”  

Under the Clean Air Act, EPA is required to set NAAQS for several pollutants, including fine particulate matter, at a level that protects public health and welfare. When NAAQS are updated, the Clean Air Act gives EPA a specific deadline to designate areas of the country that are in violation of the updated standard as “nonattainment.” This designation provides key support for state programs to reduce dangerous pollution levels to safer levels. EPA ignored this deadline, leading to the multistate suit, and the court's decision now requires EPA to issue the designations.

Reductions in soot are associated with decreases in the risk of mortality and increases in life expectancy. In 2024, in response to advocacy from California and others, EPA strengthened the soot NAAQS based on overwhelming scientific evidence. According to its own estimates, EPA has reported that the first year alone of full attainment of the 2024 NAAQS will result in significant public health benefits, including avoiding 4,500 premature deaths, 2,000 emergency room visits, 5,700 new cases of asthma, 800,000 cases of asthma symptoms, 290,000 lost workdays, and 1,000 hospital admissions for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The value of these and other health benefits would outweigh the estimated costs of implementation by $46 billion.