Washington (April 29, 2014) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today cheered the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Cross State Air Pollution Rule, also known as the Transport Rule, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) accompanying implementation plans. After EPA’s authority was struck down by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, Senator Markey along with many others called on the Obama administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The program would limit the amount of harmful pollution that can travel across state lines, punishing the citizens of downwind states like Massachusetts with more lung and heart disease. The EPA has determined that the Transport Rule will improve air quality in Massachusetts, including preventing up to 390 premature deaths each year by 2014. Massachusetts’s total public health benefits by 2014 as a result of the final rule would be between $1.3 billion and $3.2 billion each year.

Below is Senator Markey’s statement:

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a huge win for cleaner air, clearer lungs, and healthier lives for families in Massachusetts and nationwide. EPA has put together a common sense, cost-effective rule to reduce harmful pollution that crosses state boundaries.

“Pollution does not respect state borders or know the difference between lungs in the Midwest or lungs in New England. The Supreme Court recognized that today. Reducing air pollution through this long overdue rule will save money and lives in Massachusetts and across America.”