Volume 161, No. 134 covering the 1st Session of the 114th Congress (2015 - 2016) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“OZONE REGULATIONS” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H6081 on Sept. 17, 2015.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
OZONE REGULATIONS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reject a proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency that would increase compliance measures in dealing with ozone. This proposal has been met with bipartisan opposition in Pennsylvania from local, State, and, yes, Federal elected officials.
As a result of these regulations, three counties in my district--
Erie, Centre, and Clearfield--would fall out of compliance with Federal law. This comes at a time when Pennsylvania's ozone emissions have declined for decades.
Let me repeat that. This comes at a time when the ozone emission levels in Pennsylvania have been in decline for decades. This is an EPA-Obama administration political solution in search of a problem.
The new regulations would trigger an implementation procedure for counties which would make State and local officials answer to the EPA for basic permitting and planning decisions.
The regulations would threaten the State's ability to open new manufacturing facilities and, by the way, the jobs that would go with that. They would threaten the State's ability to expand current businesses and invest in new roadways.
They would also threaten agriculture through restrictions on animal feeding operations due to emissions from animal waste, along with limits on pesticide use.
This proposal comes at a time when ozone emissions across Pennsylvania have been in decline, again, for decades. With the State's economy still on the rebound from the Great Recession, now is the wrong time for new, stringent, and, I would argue, unnecessary rules from the EPA that could kill jobs.
The fact is, Mr. Speaker, this proposal is the latest in a series of overreaches by the EPA, including the Clean Power Plan, which was announced earlier this summer by President Obama.
That plan will work hand in hand with these proposed ozone limits to kill good-paying jobs and to stifle economic development in Pennsylvania and across the Nation.
Furthermore, recent studies have called into question the claim that ozone levels lead to health issues, including asthma, especially among children.
With that in mind, these proposed regulations, which could be the costliest in the history of this Nation, may not have any impact on the health of our citizens.
There is still time for the EPA to reconsider the stringent regulation proposals for ozone and coal power plants.
As the Representative of a largely rural district which depends on agriculture, I understand how important it is that we be good stewards of the environment.
However, that stewardship must be balanced with the protection of industries and jobs, which have powered our communities for generations.
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