WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to repeal the Biden Administration’s decision to reclassify Utah’s Northern Wasatch Front from a “Moderate” to a “Serious” nonattainment area under the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
“For too long, Utah has faced the prospect of being penalized for air pollution we did not create and cannot control,” said Senator Curtis. “Today’s proposal shows that the EPA is listening to Utah and correctly understands how ozone exceedances should be evaluated in the Northern Wasatch Front. This is how good environmental policy should work—grounded in science, responsive to states, and focused on practical outcomes.”
Background:
The proposal utilizes Section 179B of the Clean Air Act, which allows the EPA to account for international emissions when determining whether an area has met federal air quality standards. Based on multiple reconsideration requests from Senator Curtis and the Utah congressional delegation and technical analysis submitted by the State, EPA found that the Northern Wasatch Front would have met the August 2024 attainment deadline if not for these external factors.
On March 5, 2025, EPA agreed to reconsider its determination that Utah’s NWF area failed to attain the 2015 Ozone NAAQS in a timely manner, and the resulting reclassification of the area from “Moderate” to “Serious” nonattainment.
EPA established the 2015 Ozone NAAQS standards at 70 parts per billion to protect public health and the environment. Learn more about the Clean Air Act and NAAQS.