More than 200 business groups signed onto a letter asking Congress to ease up on the ozone regulations handed down by the Environmental Protection Agency last year.
The groups, which include the American Petroleum Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers as well as many local chambers of commerce, asked for Congress to pass the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016. The bill would give states more time in complying with the 2015 standard, which would limit the amount of ozone in the air to 70 parts per billion. That’s down from the 2008 standard of 75 parts per billion.
Many areas have yet to comply with the 2008 standard, and some major metropolitan centers including Washington and Houston were granted extensions last week while others were notified that they were out of compliance. The letter states the bill would be a “common-sense” way for states to comply with the new standards.
“We have significant concerns that the 2015 ozone standards overlap with existing state plans to implement the 2008 standards, leading to duplicative and wasteful implementation schedules, and unnecessary and severe economic impacts,” the letter states.
Ozone is the primary component in smog and can cause respiratory illnesses in children and the elderly, such as exacerbating the symptoms of asthma.
The House bill would extend the deadlines for some of the provisions of the regulation, including areas not being labeled as non-compliers until 2025.
The bill also would require the National Ambient Air Quality Standards to be revised every 10 years instead of every five years.
According to the letter, the EPA’s decision to lower the ozone standard, which drew jeers from both industry and environmental groups — who wanted to see the standard lowered even further — was made over thousands of objections.
“It is now up to Congress to address these issues, and that is why we support the introduction of [the bill]. By better aligning the 2015 ozone standards with the 2008 standards and their associated emissions reductions, [the bill] will help prevent unnecessary nonattainment designations and cost burdens, without sacrificing environmental protection,” the letter states.
“The legislation’s permitting relief and other reforms are also an important step towards air standards that balance environmental protection and economic development.”
