December 1, 2025
A coalition of national and regional environmental and public health organizations is urging EPA not to weaken its Regional Haze Rule, the core program for clearing air pollution from America’s national parks and wilderness areas. They warn that EPA’s current proposal could create “off-ramps” that let states skip required cleanup plans, slow progress, or even avoid submitting new plans altogether—despite the fact that no Class I area has yet reached natural visibility and 98% of parks still experience unhealthy haze. The groups emphasize that the same pollution that blurs views also harms nearby communities’ health, worsens environmental injustice, and threatens tourism-based economies that depend on clear, scenic vistas.
In their comments, the organizations argue that the Clean Air Act requires every contributing state to submit regular haze plans and to base “reasonable progress” decisions on a full four-factor analysis of available controls—not on abstract metrics or safe harbors. They urge EPA to keep 10-year planning cycles, reject broad exemptions, maintain strong visibility monitoring and metrics, revisit outdated pollution-control determinations, and ensure Federal Land Managers have a meaningful role in reviewing state plans. For readers who want the full legal and technical analysis, you can read the full comments here (PDF).