The Environmental Protection Agency is abandoning a rule that limits fine-particle pollution, a move experts say could lead to dirtier air and more US deaths. …The agency argued in the US Court that the rule was done “without a rigorous, stepwise process”. …Paul Noe testified that the EPA’s model would make it difficult for businesses to construct manufacturing plants and obtain federal permits for them. Noe, who is with the American Forest and Paper Association, said that by “setting the standard so close to background levels” of fine particulate matter, there would not be “sufficient ‘permit headroom.’” He added that industry was no longer the primary contributor of PM2.5 in the US, with wildfires and dust accounting for a greater share of the problem. The withdrawal drew instant backlash from environmental groups. …“The administration wants to take away Americans’ right to breathe clean, safe air,” said John Walke with NRDC. [to access the full story a subscription is required]