ACC Applauds House Committee Passage of Bill to Improve Implementation of EPA Ozone Standards

ACC Applauds House Committee Passage of Bill

WASHINGTON – July 11, 2017 – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) issued the following statement after House Energy and Commerce Committee passage of H.R. 806, “Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2017,” sponsored by Reps. Pete Olson (R-Texas), Bill Flores (R-Texas), Steve Scalise (R-La.) and others.

“We commend Chairman Walden for holding today’s markup of H.R. 806, bipartisan legislation that updates and improves the implementation process for EPA ozone standards. The bill will help ensure that manufacturers who want to invest and hire in the U.S. can obtain regulatory permits in a timely and efficient manner. We urge swift consideration on the House Floor. “Manufacturing facilities must obtain regulatory approval before they can proceed with a new construction or expansion project. Doing so is complicated when localities are forced to comply with two different ozone standards concurrently. EPA has failed to provide needed implementation rules and guidance promptly, leaving facilities and state permitting agencies in limbo. The confusion and delays that result from EPA’s approach to setting and implementing ozone standards put new investment and jobs at risk.

“The ‘Ozone Standards Implementation Act’ will improve the process. The legislation sets a ten-year cycle for national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) reviews, streamlines preconstruction permitting and extends the compliance date for the 2015 standards to 2025. While EPA recently granted an extension in nonattainment designations, states need more than one additional year to avoid the administrative burdens of overlapping requirements for the 2008 and 2015 ozone standards.”