Hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee - Crushing Ozone Standards

Hearing

Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) today questioned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy about the feasibility of potential changes to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards or "NAAQS" by the end of the year. The questions took place at the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the proposed EPA 2015 budget.

Olson stressed how air quality has improved over the last few decades and underscored the importance of understanding the feasibility of implementing stricter standards. Current rules are already extremely costly and are only now being implemented. Lowering standards even further to the point that they are unrealistically low jeopardizes our economy and will cost jobs nationwide. As Administrator McCarthy admitted, EPA is not allowed to consider cost or jobs impacts in setting a new standard.

Olson Opening Statement

"I'd like to keep the conversation going that my colleague from Ohio, Mr. Latta, had about NAAQS -- National Ambient Air Quality Standards -- and ozone. America has come a long way in improving air quality. But counties nationwide are hitting the limits of what they can do. VOC offsets are now $238,000 per ton in my home state of Texas -- and that's if they can get the offsets. Without offsets, your factories, your power plants and almost anything new that creates jobs becomes impossible. You've stopped cutting the fat; you're cutting to the bone.

"And EPA's rules are getting tougher. EPA recently pushed a particulate standard lower -- pushed it lower. Ozone is next. EPA is headed to the court next week to (settle?) with the environmental activists on a new ozone rule. It should be out by December. EPA is looking to lower the ozone standards from 75 parts per billion to as low as 60 parts per billion. A few years ago, your cost estimate -- yours -- for doing that was 90 billion (dollars) per year, almost $1 trillion over 10 years. That's a killer for the economy.

"Please pull up a slide for me. This slide shows the few counties that meet the 50 parts per billion rule; only five national parks will be in attainment at 50 parts per billion. Even at 55 parts per billion, this will likely be the most expensive rule in American history. We can only cut emissions so far. Natural sources like forest fires and lightning create these pollutants.

"We have foreign sources, too. Next slide, please. The New York Times declared quote...a new East Asian import: Ozone, end quote. This slide shows the tsunami of China's ozone swarming over our West Coast. Chinese pollution puts our homes out of compliance even under the current caps. On top of all this, we still have to grow our economy. Communities can't create new jobs if they can't expand."

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