The deadly COVID-19 crisis has now claimed more than 75,000 souls and put more than 33 million of workers out of a job – that’s about one in five American workers.

In the midst of such unprecedented suffering and hardship, the last thing Americans should have to worry about is attacks on your health from our own government.

That’s why EDF’s legal team is working at full capacity to defend the environmental protections that keep us all safe.

You can contribute to their success with your donation to EDF’s Clean Air Legal Defense Fund.

Our tenacious legal team has dedicated their efforts to challenging the Trump administration’s rollbacks at every turn. We’ve filed more than 90 legal actions and scored important victories in court – from defending tough standards on super-polluting trucks to support states’ efforts to take bold action on climate.

Our ability to react quickly when environmental protections come under attack directly depends on the support of members like you.

By donating to EDF today you’ll be empowering our legal team to prepare as much as possible for the challenges ahead – so when the moment comes, we’ll be ready.

These are the top four hard-fought victories we’re standing guard to defend:
 

• Clean Cars. In a move our researchers estimate will lead to 18,500 premature deaths, 250,000 asthma attacks, and 350,000 respiratory ailments by 2050 and cost Americans an addition $244 billion at the pump over the next 20 years, Wheeler finalized his rollback of the wildly successful Clean Car standards on March 31, shortly after the U.S. became the first country to exceed 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Chronic exposure to air pollution causes diseases that put people at higher risk for severe illness from the disease.
• Mercury and Air Toxics. For nearly a decade, these life-saving standards have regulated coal-fired power plants’ emissions of toxic pollutants like mercury, arsenic, and lead. On April 16, just days after the US COVID-19 death toll exceeded 20,000 lives lost, and despite new research out of Harvard University showing the possible link between air pollution and higher death rates from COVID-19, Wheeler also finalized his rollback of these standards, which save up to 11,000 lives and prevent 4,700 heart attacks and thousands of asthma attacks every single year.
• Clean Power Plan. This landmark plan created our nation’s first-ever limits on climate pollution from existing power plants and was projected to save up to 4,500 lives every year. Last year, the Trump administration proposed a “replacement” plan with NO limits on climate pollution and NO deadlines. We’ve been fighting this Unlimited Pollution Plan in a lengthy court battle, and recently filed our main brief. Final paperwork will be due this July, followed by a final ruling.
• Cross-State Air Pollution. Under the Good Neighbor provisions of the Clean Air Act, states are responsible for the pollution generated in their state – even if it blows across state borders into another state. EDF joined a lawsuit filed by New York, New Jersey, and the city of New York alleging that EPA failed to protect millions of New Yorkers from smog-forming pollution when they denied New York’s 2018 petition for help. We’re also party to and awaiting the court’s ruling in a similar case filed by Delaware and my own home state of Maryland.

P.S. In addition to the four major issues listed above, we’re also keeping an eye on several more pending and upcoming cases, including:
 

• The “PM 2.5” standards that protect us from particulate matter pollution, commonly known as “soot,”
• Regulations limiting methane pollution from oil and gas facilities,
• An air toxics loophole EPA has proposed that would allow more than 3,900 large industrial facilities nationwide to emit millions of pounds of additional dangerous pollution,
• Wheeler’s proposal to replace independent public health studies with industry-funded research in EPA decision-making, and
• EPA’s decision to suspend enforcement of environmental protections during the COVID-19 crisis.