Trump’s EPA is setting the value of human health to $0
vox.com • • nation
Key Points:
- The EPA plans to stop assigning a dollar value to the health benefits of air pollution regulations, specifically for PM2.5 and ozone, citing uncertainty in previous cost-benefit analyses and aiming to avoid giving a "false sense of precision."
- This change could lead to weaker pollution standards, as the agency will continue to calculate compliance costs but may no longer quantify the economic value of lives saved and hospital visits avoided, potentially skewing regulatory decisions against stricter controls.
- Experts warn that ignoring the monetized health benefits undermines transparency and accountability, and could result in worsening air quality and increased public health risks, given the well-established harms of fine particulate matter and ozone exposure.
- The shift aligns with a broader trend under the current EPA leadership and previous
