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Midwest Republicans File EPA Complaint Over Canadian Wildfire Smoke

The complaint targets Canada’s fire management over transboundary smoke that has worsened air quality in the U.S.

A photo illustration of a red elephant man in a suit in front of Canada wildfires.
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Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says he doesn't "generalize these attention-seekers' misguided words to all Americans," and noted American firefighters have been helping fight Canada's wildfires while Canadian firefighters were on the ground and in the air during California's devastating wildfire season.

Overview

  • Republican state lawmakers from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota formally petitioned EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the International Joint Commission to probe Canada’s wildfire response.
  • Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew denounced the effort as a “timber tantrum” and accused critics of playing “political games” with a serious health issue.
  • Smoke from over 737 active Canadian wildfires has led to sustained air pollution across several Upper Midwest states, alarming families and health experts.
  • U.S. and Canadian firefighting teams continue mutual aid, with American crews deployed in Manitoba and Canadian personnel having served during California’s wildfire season.
  • The complaint emerges against a backdrop of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods and growing tensions over trade and environmental cooperation.