Author archives

Dr Richard Peltier is a Professor of Environmental Health Science at the University of Massachusetts. His research is centered on the field of exposure science, which seeks to identify and understand the factors that affect human exposure that impact human health – how sources of pollution contribute to health burdens, how human activity modifies these exposures, and identifying the most susceptible populations. Most recently, Dr. Peltier has been involved in developing science-relevant policy to protect the public from air pollution. This includes extensive panel guidance for the US Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organization Global Air Pollution and Health Techincal Advisory Group, and advisory work with the US Department of State as an Air Quality Fellow. Leading an active research group at UMass, Dr. Peltier has received recent funding from diverse organizations, including the US EPA, the National Institute of Health, the US Forest Service, and National Science Foundation. Beyond research, Peltier is an Executive Editor of the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology and has served in consulting roles with the World Meteorological Organization and the World Bank Group, among others. Peltier has a Masters of Public Health in Environmental Health (Columbia University, 2001) and a PhD in Atmospheric Chemistry (Georgia Institute of Technology (2007).

America’s clean air rules boost health and the economy − here’s what EPA’s new deregulation plans ignore

The Trump administration announced on March 12, 2025, that it is “reconsidering” more than 30 air pollution regulations in a series of moves that could impact air quality across the United States. “Reconsideration” is a term used to review or modify a government regulation. While Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin provided few details, Prof. Richard Peltier discusses how the breadth of the regulations being reconsidered affects all Americans. They include rules that set limits for pollutants that can harm human health, such as ozone, particulate matter and volatile organic carbon.

Subjects: Climate Change, Economy, Energy, Government Resources, Healthcare, Legal Research, United States Law