Washington, D.C.—Yesterday, Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) introduced the Ozone Regulatory Delay and Extension of Assessment Length (ORDEAL) Act, designed to delay the EPA’s existing timeline to review and revise air standards and quality criteria. The bill would prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a revised standard until 2018 and set future timelines for review at 10 years. Upon introduction of the bill, Rep. Salmon issued the following statement:
“According to the EPA’s own numbers, the EPA’s revised proposal for National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) is the most expensive regulation in American history. Among other things, this regulation requires states to suffer the consequences of polluters beyond their borders—forcing them to compensate for not only industry in other states, but also unregulated polluters in other nations.
I cannot think of a more effective way to inhibit job creation or capital investment than to threaten states with a series of regulatory sanctions for opening productive businesses. Under the current standards enforced by the EPA, 221 counties across 27 states are listed as being in “non-attainment status.” Making the structure stricter when over half of our states are having trouble meeting current metrics is foolish. At a time when record numbers of Americans are out of work, we should be making job creation easier for companies and individuals. This bill would remove one hurdle to job creation—at least for now—and I urge Congress to act quickly to pass it.”
Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
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