{"id":2952,"date":"2026-07-23T12:35:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T12:35:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2952"},"modified":"2026-07-23T12:35:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T12:35:18","slug":"hawaii-ag-challenges-epas-disapproval-of-heco-air-pollution-reduction-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2952","title":{"rendered":"Hawaii AG challenges EPA\u2019s disapproval of HECO air pollution reduction plan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez filed a petition challenging a federal ruling that disapproved of the state\u2019s plan to work with Hawaiian Electric Company to reduce air pollution. <\/p>\n

Read more First Alert Forecast: It\u2019s All About Fausto<\/a><\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Lopez filed a petition on behalf of the Hawaii Department of Health, challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. <\/p>\n

On May 29, the EPA issued a partial disapproval of Hawaii\u2019s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan, or RHSIP, which required states to take actions to improve visibility and air quality around national parks under the Clean Air Act. <\/p>\n

\u201cResidents and visitors deserve to experience these parks with the natural air quality and visibility the RHSIP was intended to protect,\u201d Lopez said. \u201cWe challenge EPA\u2019s action because it is inconsistent with the goals of the RHSIP and is based on an unlawful interpretation of the Clean Air Act.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

State health officials had identified HECO\u2019s Kanoelehua Hill, Kahului, Maalaea, and Puna generating stations as contributors of human-caused haze and air pollution around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park.<\/p>\n

Although HECO originally agreed to voluntarily retire its older and less efficient oil-burning units on Maui and Hawaii Island, the company retracted its commitment when the EPA changed administrations in 2025, Lopez reports. <\/p>\n

Read more Woman identified in deadly head-on crash on Highway 11 in Volcano<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOur regional haze plan was tailored to Hawaii\u2019s unique circumstances and developed through years of collaboration to improve air quality in and around our state\u2019s national parks,\u201d said Deputy Director for Environmental Health Kathleen Ho. <\/p>\n

The state is not the only stakeholder taking action against the EPA\u2019s ruling. <\/p>\n

A coalition of environmental and public health organizations, including Earthjustice, also filed a court challenge of the EPA\u2019s decision on Wednesday. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt HECO\u2019s request, EPA jumped all over this chance to trash the law, pollute the environment, and keep Hawaii consumers stuck paying the skyrocketing bills for imported fossil fuels,\u201d said Isaac Moriwake, managing attorney for Earthjustice\u2019s Mid-Pacific Office.<\/p>\n

According to a statement released by Earthjustice, more than a year after finalizing its plan with the state, HECO sent a letter to the EPA in August of 2025 asking the agency to disapprove the RHSIP, citing \u201cgrid reliability\u201d concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Trump EPA is handing polluters another free pass while Americans are denied the enjoyment of our beautiful national parks, and families are left breathing dirtier air,\u201d said Abi Vijayan, senior climate attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. <\/p>\n

Read more Belatti responds after Gov. Green questions her campaign message<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Previous coverage: <\/h3>\n

HECO and environmental advocates split over Hawaii clean-air plan<\/p>\n

EPA rejects Hawaii\u2019s clean-air plan to cut power-plant haze<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although HECO originally agreed to voluntarily retire its less efficient generating stations, the company retracted its commitment when the EPA changed administrations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nHawaii AG challenges EPA\u2019s disapproval of HECO air pollution reduction plan - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2952\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hawaii AG challenges EPA\u2019s disapproval of HECO air pollution reduction plan - 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