WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Environment, chaired by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), today held a markup and advanced four bills that empower small businesses and manufacturers to the full committee for consideration.
Chairman Walden delivers his opening statement
“I believe that the EPA has on occasion failed to consider the interests of the ‘little guy’ when regulating sectors mainly consisting of small manufacturers and other small businesses, which has resulted in policies that do more economic harm than environmental good, and that place undue burdens on consumers," said full committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR).
#SubEnvironment passed the following bills:
H.R. 350, Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and committee member Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), passed the subcommittee by a vote of 13-9.
* H.R. 350 would clarify that the anti-tampering provisions applicable to motor vehicles do not apply to vehicles used solely for competition.
“Across North Carolina there are 27,000 residents employed in motorsports related jobs. My district is home to the motorsports racing industry and Charlotte Motor Speedway and I am proud to be their voice here in Washington," said Rep. Hudson. “This interpretation by the EPA directly conflicts with the original purpose of the Clean Air Act and Congress’s repeated efforts to clarify that these standards were never intended to apply to vehicles modified for racing only."
H.R. 453, Relief from New Source Performance Standards Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), passed the subcommittee by a vote of 12-10.
* H.R. 453 would extend the deadlines for the second phase of new source performance standards for new residential wood heaters.
H.R. 1119, Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment (SENSE) Act, authored by Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-PA), passed the subcommittee by a vote of 13-10.
* H.R. 1119 would provide alternative compliance options with the cross-state air pollution rule and mercury and air toxic standards for coal refuse-to-energy plants.
H.R. 1917, Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns (BRICK) Act of 2017, authored by committee member Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), passed the subcommittee by a vote of 12-10.
* R. 1917 would extend the deadlines for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for brick and structural clay products manufacturing or clay ceramics manufacturing. The extension would last until judicial review of the rules are completed.
“The BRICK Act will simply allow for the consideration and completion of any judicial review regarding EPA’s 2015 emission standards for the brick and tile industries before requiring compliance with their new rules," said Rep. Johnson. “We don’t want a repeat of the last time the EPA issued regulations for these industries, where the industry was forced to comply, spend hundreds of millions of dollars, only to have the rule vacated by the courts soon thereafter."
#SubEnvironment Chairman Shimkus and Ranking Member Tonko share a laugh
“I am pleased that we have begun the process of moving some commonsense bills that will help small businesses, car racing enthusiasts, and consumers. This committee strives to make our nation’s environmental regulations smarter and that is exactly what these four bills do," concluded #SubEnvironment Chairman Shimkus. “All of these bills provide the necessary leeway and flexibility to small entities so that they can meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act without experiencing needless regulatory burdens."
Electronic copies of the legislation, a background memo, vote tallies, and an archived webcast can be found online HERE.
In September, #SubEnvironment held a legislative hearing on the legislation considered today.
