Trending
Contact Advertise Newsletter
Swark TODAY

Fri February 16, 2024

By Press Release

Politics State

WESTERMAN, NEWHOUSE, CARTER LEAD THE CHARGE DEMANDING EPA RESCIND JOB-KILLING AIR QUALITY STANDARDS

Congressman Westerman Epa Rescind Air Quality Standards
WESTERMAN, NEWHOUSE, CARTER LEAD THE CHARGE DEMANDING EPA RESCIND JOB-KILLING AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
WASHINGTON - Today, Western Caucus Vice Chair Bruce Westerman (AR-04), Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), and Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) led 111 House Republicans in demanding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rescinds the recently finalized rule for the National Ambient Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). “The U.S. has some of the best air quality in the world, and thanks to collaboration with industry leaders committed to being good stewards or our environment, it’s only getting better,” said
Western Caucus Vice Chair Bruce Westerman . “The EPA’s unnecessary decision to tighten the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter was not made with the best interests of the environment in mind and will bring this progress to a halting stop. These onerous new standards will be logistically impossible for critical industries to execute successfully and will result in the loss of thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity. I’m proud to lead this effort, alongside Dan Newhouse and Buddy Carter, to call on the EPA to immediately rescind this job-killing rule.” “EPA’s recent NAAQS rule is an unnecessary change that puts American manufacturing, forestry, and other industries at risk,” said Western Caucus Chairman Newhouse . “America already has stringent clean air standards and ranks top 20 globally in air quality.  This new standard only serves to hamper prosperity across the country for negligible benefits while forcing businesses to close, increasing manufacturing costs, and inflicting harm to communities across the country. As Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, I’m proud to help lead this effort in urging EPA to rescind this rule and restore prosperity to rural America.” “The Biden administration’s irresponsible and unnecessary PM2.5 standard is a death knell for vital US industries, including manufacturing and timber. As the representative from the #1 forestry state in the nation and a district that is seeing a manufacturing boom, that is deeply concerning," said
House Energy and Commerce Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Buddy Carter.   “America has the best environmental standards and wonderful economic potential. We must maintain both by working with industry leaders to enact practical NAAQS reforms that build on the Clean Air Act’s 40-year history of successfully improving air quality nationwide.” The full letter can be found here . BACKGROUND:
  • The decision by the Biden Administration to tighten the standards, which lacks scientific evidence, could result in a loss of billions of dollars in annual economic activity and risk over 300,000 manufacturing jobs.
  • The new standards come two years before the existing PM2.5 NAAQS would begin a new, exhaustive review by expert scientific advisors under the Clean Air Act’s statuary process.
  • The new PM2.5 NAAQS break down the standards even further, jeopardizing our economic, employment, development, and manufacturing capabilities and opportunities nationwide.
  • In October 2023, Congressman Westerman sent a letter, alongside 70 Republican Members, urging the EPA to withdraw the costly and unnecessary proposal and review the PM2.5 NAAQS under the Clean Air Act’s regular review cycle. Congressman Westerman has not received a response to that letter.
  • On January 30, 2024, Congressman Westerman sent a follow up letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging the agency to halt its release of the finalized update.

Click here to view the rule summary from the EPA.

SHARE
Close