WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), and Energy and Power Subcommittee Vice Chairman Pete Olson (R-TX) today sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough outlining various concerns with the EPA’s proposed revisions to the ozone standard that was established in 2008.
EPA has proposed revising the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to a level between 65-70 ppb. Communities across the country are just now beginning to implement the current standard and yesterday panelists discussed how the proposed rule could put jobs at risk in the manufacturing industry and other key areas of the economy.
In the letter the members write, “EPA’s pending rule threatens serious economic harm and is being proposed as the nation continues to face major fiscal and employment challenges, including stagnant wages and a low labor participation rates."
Accompanying the letter to Mr. McDonough is a list of nearly 700 national, state, and local organizations, and stakeholders in support of retaining the current standard. The members continued, “This list highlights the scope of the potential adverse effects of this rule… Given the significant costs of the proposed rule, the uncertainty of the benefits, and the expected ozone reductions under the existing standard, we do not believe that revisions are required at this time."
The committee letter comes a day after committee member Rep. Bob Latta ( R-OH) spearheaded a bipartisan letter signed by over 130 members of Congress to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy asking her to reconsider the proposed revisions.
See Also
* Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Allow Cost Effective and Practical Implementation of Ozone Standards
