The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday strengthened a rule limiting toxic air pollution from factories, refineries and other industrial facilities, reversing one of former president Donald Trump’s major environmental rollbacks.
EPA considers a facility a “major source” if it annually emits 10 tons or more of a single hazardous air pollutant or 25 tons or more of at least two such pollutants, including arsenic and benzene. Inhaling these pollutants carries a range of health risks.
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The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday strengthened a rule limiting toxic air pollution from factories, refineries and other industrial facilities, reversing one of former president Donald Trump’s major environmental rollbacks.
In an [update](https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/reclassification-major-sources-area-sources-under-section-112) posted on its website, the agency quietly signaled it had finalized changes to the “Once In, Always In” rule, which requires facilities classified as “major” sources of toxic air pollution to always maintain strict pollution controls, even if they are later reclassified.
EPA considers a facility a “major source” if it annually emits 10 tons or more of a single hazardous air pollutant or 25 tons or more of at least two such pollutants, including arsenic and benzene. Inhaling these pollutants carries a range of health risks.
Short-term exposure to high concentrations of [benzene](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/12/21/oil-refineries-pollution-gulf-coast-epa/?itid=lk_inline_manual_7), a sweet-smelling chemical found in gasoline and other petroleum products, can cause headaches, dizziness and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure has been linked to a higher risk of cancer, especially leukemia and other cancers that affect the blood and bone marrow.
Read more here: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/09/04/epa-once-in-always-in/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/09/04/epa-once-in-always-in/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
Hell yea