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Today, Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after the Center for Regulatory Solutions (CRS), a project of the Small Business Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), published a new report detailing the economic impact of the EPA’s new lower federal ozone standard:
“In late October, the EPA once again moved the goal posts by unilaterally publishing a fundamentally-flawed new regulation that dramatically lowered the ozone standard for communities throughout the nation. This blatant overreach, not based on the best available science, will kill tens of thousands of jobs annually and cause more harm to our economy than any regulation in the history of this great country.
“Furthermore, it is laughable that the EPA admits it does not have a clear plan for dealing with background ozone generated by factors outside the state’s control. This means the EPA is literally attempting to punish Arizona for ozone pollution that is created in California, Mexico and even China. This out-of-control agency, under the leadership of President Obama, continues its lawless, ideological attack on energy producers in order to further its own control over the lives of every American. I applaud the Center for Regulatory Solutions for their work on this issue and for exposing the significant economic harm that will occur in Arizona as a result of EPA’s terrible new regulation.”
Background:
The full CRS report can be found HERE. (From the report) By lowering the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb, the EPA could plunge as many as nine Arizona counties into violation, or non-attainment, of federal law. According to the CRS economic analysis, these counties represent: 97% the state’s economy, 95% of the state’s jobs, 93% of the state’s population.
In November 2015, Rep. Gosar introduced H.J.Res.74, legislation that blocks the EPA’s new ozone regulation utilizing the Congressional Review Act (CRA). The CRA allows Congress to utilize an expedited process to disprove of major rules and only requires a simple majority vote in both Houses to pass legislation.
The text of the H.J.Res.74 can be found HERE.
Most states are just beginning to adopt the 2008 ozone standards as the EPA didn’t announce implementation guidance and a final rule until March 6, 2015. Rather than allowing time for those standards to be implemented, the EPA moved the goal posts and is unilaterally seeking to dramatically lower the ozone standard once again to 70 parts per billion.
The EPA has reported that 358 counties throughout the country will be immediately noncompliant, and Senator Inhofe has reported that an additional 1,500 counties likely will not meet this new mandate. Nearly 700 stakeholders throughout the country have called on Congress to stop the overreaching new ozone rule that many believe is “the most expensive regulation in history.” On June 12, a witness from the EPA even contradicted the need for this new mandate when she testified June 12 before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and stated, “Nationally, since 1980, average ozone levels have fallen by a third.”
Current endorsements for Congressman Gosar’s legislation include: American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, American Farm Bureau, Americans for Limited Government, Associated General Contractors of America, Eagle Forum, Freedom Works, Concerned Citizens for America, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Mason Contractors Association of America, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Farm Bureau, Arizona Generation and Transmission Cooperatives, Arizona Liberty, Arizona Manufacturers Council, Arizona Mining Association, Arizona Pork Council, Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce, Cactus & Pine Golf Course Superintendents Association, Gila County Growers Association, Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association, New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association, New Mexico Wool Growers, New Mexico Federal Lands Council, Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Co-op, Town of Fredonia, AZ, Veritas Research Consulting, Yuma County Chamber of Commerce, Apache Junction City Councilman Jeff Serdy, La Paz County Supervisors King Clapperton; Yavapai County Supervisors Chip Davis, Jack Smith and Thomas Thurman; taxpayers Jordan Rose and Jim Salscheider
81 members of the House have cosponsored Rep. Gosar’s legislation including: Representatives Ralph Abraham, Mark Amodei, Brian Babin, Andy Barr, Joe Barton, Dan Benishek, Rod Blum, Charles Boustany, Mo Brooks, Ken Buck, Larry Bucshon, Earl Carter, Steve Chabot, Jason Chaffetz, Kevin Cramer, Rick Crawford, Scott DesJarlais, Jeff Duncan, John Duncan, Blake Farenthold, John Fleming, Trent Franks, Bob Gibbs, Louie Gohmert, Garret Graves, Morgan Griffith, Glenn Grothman, Cresent Hardy, Jeb Hensarling, Tim Huelskamp, Bill Johnson, Mike Kelly, Steve King, Sam Johnson, Walter Jones, David Joyce, Mike Kelly, Raul Labrador, Doug Lamborn, Frank Lucas, Blaine Luetkemeyer, Cynthia Lummis, Luke Messer, Tom McClintock, David McKinley, Martha McSally, Candice Miller, Jeff Miller, Alex Mooney, Tim Murphy, Randy Neugebauer, Dan Newhouse, Steve Palazzo, Gary Palmer, Steve Pearce, Mike Pompeo, Bill Posey, John Ratcliffe, Reid Ribble, Tom Rice, Phil Roe, Dana Rohrabacher, Keith Rothfus, David Rouzer, Matt Salmon, David Schweikert, Austin Scott, Jim Sensenbrenner, Pete Sessions, John Shimkus, Lamar Smith, Marlin Stutzman, Glenn Thompson, David Trott, Michael Turner, Jackie Walorski, Randy Weber, Ted Yoho, Don Young, Joe Wilson and Ryan Zinke.
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