United States DC Circuit

The EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter and ozone are neither arbitrary nor capricious where evidence indicates the EPA's rejection of lower standards shows that it recognized and acted upon its statutory obligation to set primary NAAQS at levels no lower than necessary to reduce public health risks.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/18/2001
• Decided 03/26/2002
• Published 03/26/2002

Judges

• Before:  GINSBURG, Chief Judge, TATEL, Circuit Judge, and WILLIAMS, Senior Circuit Judge.

Court

• United States DC Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• F. William Brownell and Norman W. Fichthorn argued the causes for State and Business Petitioners, Non-Environmental Petitioners, and Petitioners on Ozone Issues in97-1440 and 97-1441.   With them on the briefs were Henry V. Nickel, Thomas Richichi, Justice A. Savage, Betty D. Montgomery, Attorney General, Judith L. French and Bryan F. Zima, Assistant Attorneys General, State of Ohio, Jennifer M. Granholm, Attorney General, Thomas Casey, Solicitor General, Alan F. Hoffman and Pamela J. Stevenson, Assistant Attorneys General, State of Michigan, Mark J. Rudolph, Senior Counsel, State of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Robert R. Gasaway, Daryl Joseffer, David E. Menotti, Jeffrey A. Knight, G. William Frick, M. Elizabeth Cox, Robin S. Conrad, Jan Amundson, Beth L. Law, Robert S. Digges, Harold P. Quinn Jr., David M. Flannery, Gale Lea, Russell S. Frye, Richard Wasserstrom, Julie C. Becker, Jeffery L. Leiter, Chet M. Thompson, Douglas I. Greenhaus, Maurice H. McBride, Gary H. Baise, David F. Zoll, Ronald A. Shipley, Peter S. Glaser, Grant Crandall, Timothy L. Harker, Eugene M. Trisko, Thomas J. Graves, Kurt E. Blase, Erika Z. Jones, Timothy S. Bishop, Adam C. Sloane, Duane J. Desiderio, and David M. Friedland., Robert E. Yuhnke argued the cause for Environmental Group and Citizen Petitioners in 97-1440.   With him on the briefs was Joy E. Herr-Cardillo., James M. Rinaca, Robert R. Gasaway and Daryl Joseffer were on the brief of intervenors Atlantic City Electric Company and American Road and Transportation Builders Association in 97-1440 and 97-1441., Thomas F. Reilly, Attorney General, Edward G. Bohlen, Assistant Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, John J. Farmer Jr., Attorney General, Howard Geduldig, Deputy Attorney General, State of New Jersey, Eliot Spitzer, Attorney General, J. Jared Snyder, Assistant Attorney General, State of New York, Philip T. McLaughlin, Attorney General, Maureen D. Smith, Senior Assistant Attorney General, State of New Hampshire, William Sorrell, Attorney General, Erick Titrud, Assistant Attorney General, State of Vermont, Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General, Kimberly Massicotte, Assistant Attorney General, State of Connecticut, and Howard I. Fox were on the brief for intervenors Massachusetts, New Jersey and American Lung Association, and amici curiae New York, et al. in 97-1440 and97-1441.


• For Appellees:
  
• Norman L. Rave Jr. and David J. Kaplan, Attorneys, U.S. Department of Justice, argued the causes for respondent in 97-1440 and 97-1441.   With them on the briefs were John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Thomas A. Lorenzen, Attorney, John Hannon, Gerald Gleason, Carol S. Holmes and Steven Silverman, Attorneys, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.