www.bloomberg.com
The Environmental Protection Agency announced it will no longer include the monetary value of avoided deaths and illnesses when calculating the benefits of new air pollution regulations.
For decades, the government has quantified how much money is saved by preventing premature deaths and diseases caused by pollutants like soot and smog. That figure has traditionally been a major justification for imposing stricter emissions limits on industrial polluters.
The agency’s leadership says it wants to focus solely on the “direct” health impacts within a facility’s fence line, rather than broader public health improvements. Critics argue this policy shift will downplay the significant health benefits of regulation, making it easier for industry to challenge or avoid stricter pollution limits.
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