Virginia removes old pollution rules for industries that no longer exist
What happened
Virginia is removing two old pollution rules from its books. These rules covered petroleum refineries and large appliance coating systems, but neither industry operates in the state anymore.
Why it matters
This is a small, technical cleanup. It means Virginia's environmental regulations are now more accurate, reflecting the actual industries operating in the state. It also means the US environmental regulators will not spend time enforcing rules for non-existent facilities.
The signal
Watch for other states to follow suit, cleaning up their own environmental regulations by removing rules for industries that have left or closed.