Connecticut and New York are among nine northeastern states petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency to limit air pollution that drifts in from the Rust Belt.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says the state has the highest level of ozone in the Northeast, due in large part to interstate pollution that comes from coal-fired power plants in states likes Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy says the state has done its part to address the issue. Connecticut was one of nine northeastern states in 2013 to ask the agency to add those Rust Belt states to an interstate commission that held to higher air quality standards. Connecticut was also the lead plaintiff in a 2011 Supreme Court case that ruled the EPA is responsible for handling greenhouse gas emissions.
“Quite frankly we’ve done more than our part to address this issue,” said Malloy. “It is now time to level the playing field, protect the health of our residents, and the well-being of our economies. It’s time for the EPA to do their part.”
