A national environmental group is asking a federal court to overturn U.S. EPA approval of Ohio’s air pollution plan for the Cleveland area, putting several major industrial facilities back in the regulatory crosshairs.

The Natural Resources Defense Council argues EPA should have required stricter pollution controls and additional emissions reporting from facilities including Cleveland-Cliffs’ Cleveland Works, PPG Industries, Lubrizol, Henkel and Owens Corning.

The case now heads to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, where the outcome could determine whether affected facilities face another round of regulatory scrutiny and potentially tighter Clean Air Act requirements.

“This looks like a baseless attempt to relitigate a plan EPA already reviewed and approved,” said James Lee, managing director of public policy services for the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA). “Ohio manufacturers should not have to keep paying lawyers and consultants every time an outside group decides the answer it got was not good enough. We are prepared to fight this.”

Manufacturers ready to help OMA fight back against this lawsuit should contact James Lee to learn how to get involved. 8/25/2026