EPA Battles Congress Lawsuit to Reclaim Authority Over Noise Control Act After Decades of Inactivity.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is fighting a lawsuit by Congress to reinstate its role in regulating the Noise Control Act, which was once a core function of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. The agency was removed from its portfolio in the early 1980s by Congress at the prompting of then-President Ronald Reagan. Despite the challengers’ claim that the agency has delayed action under the 1972 law, EPA argues that Congress ruled it reasonable for EPA to cease new activities under this statute and defer further noise control efforts to state and local programs.