Tennessee gets a pass on its plan to clean up regional haze

US environmental regulators have approved Tennessee's plan to reduce regional haze, which is air pollution that makes distant objects look blurry. This means the state's current approach to improving visibility in national parks and wilderness areas is considered sufficient for the next planning period.

States must regularly show how they plan to clean up air pollution that travels across state lines and obscures views in protected areas. This approval means Tennessee's existing strategy, which includes controls on industrial emissions, will continue without major changes. It also means that environmental groups who might have pushed for stricter measures will have to wait for the next planning cycle to challenge the state's approach.