OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond has filed a federal lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to AG Drummond, the lawsuit was filed over the EPA’s refusal of Oklahoma’s plan regarding ozone emissions. The petition to review the rejection was filed March 2 with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Officials say the EPA disapproved of Oklahoma’s state implementation plan (SIP) that follows the Clean Air Act rule relating to ozone emissions. The EPA has also issued a rule making Oklahoma and other states with rejected SIPs follow a federal plan.

“This is federal overreach of the first order,” he said. “Rather than work with Oklahoma to make whatever modifications the EPA claims are necessary to comply with its burdensome regulations, the Biden Administration is seeking a one-size-fits-all federal plan with absolutely no input from Oklahoma or other affected states. The EPA plan places unnecessary and costly burdens on Oklahoma businesses and ignores the expertise of Oklahoma’s Department of Environmental Quality, all at the expense of state sovereignty.”

AG Drummond added that the Oklahoma legislature has allocated money to Office of the Attorney General for the purpose of combatting federal overreach

“The people of Oklahoma should be deeply thankful that legislative leaders like Speaker Charles McCall and President Pro Tempore Greg Treat made it a priority to fund the fight against federal overreach,” Drummond said.

“Oklahoma is ideally positioned to help lead the way in this battle against the EPA.”

Officials say the DEQ created the state implementation plan, ensuring compliance with Clean Air Act requirements.

AG Drummond noted that the EPA’s federal implementation plan would inflict excessive federal emissions requirements on multiple sources, like fossil fuel-fired power plants, in 25 states including Oklahoma.