North Dakota gets a pass on some air pollution rules, but not all of them

US environmental regulators partially approved and partially rejected North Dakota's plan to reduce regional haze. This means the state must now update its plan to meet federal clean air standards for certain pollutants, but not others.

States must submit plans to clean up air pollution that drifts across state lines. This is a routine step in a long process. The partial rejection means North Dakota will have to go back and revise its plan for some pollutants. This keeps the pressure on states to meet federal air quality goals, even if it's a slow process.