The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers are suing the federal government to halt new air pollution rules both say will stunt the nation's economic growth.

At issue is an Environmental Protection Agency plan to improve the nation's air quality by tightening ground-level ozone standards from 75 to 70 parts per billion. EPA, environmentalists and public health groups say the changes could potentially save thousands of lives every year.

Both the Chamber and NAM argue the EPA is proposing a ridiculously strict standard that will lead to billions of dollars in economic losses. In fact, NAM argues the new rule would be the most costly regulation in the nation's history. (Supporters of the new standards have questioned NAM's numbers.)

"(O)ur air quality is improving, and ozone levels are down more than 30 percent since 1980, yet the administration insists on moving forward with tightening an already stringent standard," Linda Kelly, senior vice president and general counsel at NAM, said in a statement.

In a separate statement, the Chamber accused the EPA of creating a "web of regulations" that make it almost impossible for businesses to succeed.

"Through no fault of their own, many communities have yet to meet EPA's 2008 ozone standard, making it almost impossible for them to realistically meet the new standard unless they make painful decisions that the public will likely not accept," said Karen Harbert, CEO of the U.S. Chamber's Institute for 21st Century Energy.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Five states—Arizona, Arkansas, New Mexico, North Dakota and Oklahoma—also have sued the EPA over the new ozone standard.

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