Obama withdraws air quality plans to environmentalists’ dismay

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has withdrawn a new set of draft air quality standards, saying they would harm the economy, but environmentalists complained he had caved in to polluting corporations.

Obama, who will next week unveil a major plan designed to revive the economy, is under pressure to strip away regulations on businesses that his Republican foes say are denting growth.

“I have continued to underscore the importance of reducing regulatory burdens and regulatory uncertainty, particularly as our economy continues to recover,” he said in a statement.