R.I. joins 10 other states in lawsuit against EPA rule delay

Good to see many states step into the current void in DC and push hard to keep clean air standards in place.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A coalition of 11 state attorneys general that includes Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin has filed a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has illegally delayed a rule that would enhance protections against chemical accidents.

The coalition argues that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s decision to delay the “Chemical Accident Safety Rule” by an additional 20 months exceeds the agency’s authority under the federal Clean Air Act.

“The EPA continues to exceed its authority by choosing to delay critical protections, likely at the behest of industry insiders, that could have serious life-and-death consequences for our first responders and our communities as a whole,” Kilmartin said in a statement. “Rhode Island has long held the EPA to do the right thing, no matter who was leading the agency, and we will continue to keep the pressure on the agency to properly implement sound rules and regulations.”

The other members of the coalition are the attorneys general of Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

According to a news release from the coalition, the Obama administration finalized the rule on Jan. 13, requiring additional safeguards in accident-prevention programs, among other improvements, and it was set to take effect on March 14. On June 14, Pruitt pushed back that date until Feb. 19, 2019.