Madison Reporter

The 7th Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals has granted a stay requested by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regarding an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule. The rule would have classified Southeast Wisconsin and Sheboygan counties as “Serious” nonattainment areas under the 2015 ozone standard.

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), which has advocated against stricter ozone regulations for local businesses, welcomed the court’s decision. Scott Manley, WMC Executive Vice President of Government Relations, said in a statement:

“The federal court’s order will provide badly-needed relief to employers who face crushing and job-killing ozone regulations because of pollution they did not create. Data from both the DNR and EPA indicate that the vast majority of ozone pollution in Eastern Wisconsin is caused by emissions originating from outside our state borders. It’s unfair to punish Wisconsin businesses for pollution they didn’t create, and today’s order is the first step toward righting this wrong.”

The EPA’s original classification would have subjected businesses in these regions to more stringent air quality requirements. WMC has argued that most ozone pollution affecting Eastern Wisconsin comes from sources outside the state.