The House early Thursday morning voted to eliminate a Biden-era rule that sought to crack down on toxic air pollution, sending the resolution to President Trump’s desk.
The vote was 216-212, and Trump is expected to sign the measure. The vote took place overnight, as the House debated the GOP’s megabill of Trump’s priorities.
The Biden-era policy required polluters that had once been considered “major” emitters of seven types of pollution to continue to follow strict pollution control and reporting requirements.
It was a partial reversal of a 2020 policy that allowed polluters that had reduced their emissions below certain thresholds to follow less stringent mandates, even if they still had the ability to emit more.
The polluters in question emit one of seven types of pollution including mercury, lead, PCBs and dioxins, which have health impacts including brain damage, cancer and reproductive and immune system issues.
Democrats and environmental activists say the standard will help to reduce Americans’ exposure to these dangerous substances.
“The rule Republicans are trying to repeal today is first and foremost a public health protection measure. It requires facilities that emit the worst of the worst hazardous air pollutants to monitor, report, and cut those emissions to the maximum degree of reduction achievable—even eliminating them entirely if possible,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) in floor remarks on Wednesday.
“Republicans are going to allow large facilities to increase their toxic emissions up to just below the legal limit, endangering the health of American communities,” added Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
However, Republicans and industry have argued that the Biden-era policy gives companies less incentive to reduce their toxic emissions.
“The Biden administration’s reinstatement of the ‘Once In, Always In’ rule is a bureaucratic mandate that punishes energy producers, manufacturers, and businesses for reducing emissions. It permanently classifies facilities as ‘major sources’ of hazardous air pollutants—even when they’ve made significant investments to cut emissions below federal thresholds. That makes no sense,” Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R-N.D.) said in a statement after the Senate passed the same resolution earlier this month.
“Businesses that invest in cleaner technologies should be rewarded, not locked into outdated, costly regulations that remove any real incentive to improve,” Fedorchak added.
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