The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is giving states an extra year to develop air quality plans related to the 2015-National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone.

In a June 6 letter sent to U.S. governors, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that the extended deadline for promulgating initial area designations for the rule issued by the Obama administration in October 2015 would give the agency more time to assess available information and complete its review of the rule.

When it promulgated the rule, which slashed the current limit of 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb, former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the decision was based on well-founded concerns for public health. States have begun submitting proposals for area designations under the new standard.

The Trump administration’s review of the rule is more focused on how it will affect businesses. According to the EPA, areas designated as being in “nonattainment” of the standard face consequences, including: “increased regulatory burdens, restrictions on infrastructure investment, and increased costs to businesses.”…

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