[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 13, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    EMPLOYER TRIP REDUCTION PROGRAMS

                                 ______


                            HON. CURT WELDON

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 13, 1995

  Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 325. As an original cosponsor of this legislation, I am pleased 
that this noncontroversial measure can be brought before the House 
today under the Corrections Day Calendar.
  I grew up in a small oil refinery town just outside of Philadelphia. 
I can remember vividly the smell of burning oil in the air on a daily 
basis. Because of this experience, I have always supported strong clean 
air regulations. I voted for the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 
[CAAA] and believe the goal of reducing air pollution should not be 
abandoned.
  Over time, however, certain provisions of the Clean Air Act have 
proven to be unworkable. The implementation of employee trip reduction 
[ETR] requirements of the CAAA are of great concern to many businesses 
and employees in the Seventh Congressional District.
  Due to a single air quality reading in Chester, PA, the Environmental 
Protection Agency [EPA] designated the Philadelphia Consolidated 
Metropolitan Statistical Area [AMSA] as a severe nonattainment area 
under the CAAA. ETR is one of several strict mandates required by the 
CAAA for regions of the Nation which are classified as severe.
  Significant scientific concerns have been raised about EPA's air 
quality monitoring and the single data point from Chester which places 
the entire Philadelphia CMSA into the severe category. Based on these 
and other concerns, I wrote to then-Governor Casey asking him to press 
the EPA to reclassify Philadelphia from severe to serious. Regions 
classified as serious are required to clean up the air sooner than 
those classified as severe, but are not required to establish ETR 
programs.
  The ETR Program--while never fully implemented--would likely have 
proven costly to businesses with little real significant reduction in 
air pollutants. Last Spring, Governor Ridge announced that he would not 
implement the ETR requirements. The EPA concurred and publicly stated 
it would not force States to implement the program.
  The legislation before us today will allow States like Pennsylvania 
to willingly opt out of the ETR Program without the threat of third 
party lawsuits based on noncompliance. This legislation is important 
for areas like Philadelphia where attainment goals are needed for 
improved air quality but where these goals can be reached without a 
costly unfunded mandate on businesses in and around the region.
  I strongly support H.R. 325 and commend Congressman Manzullo for his 
efforts to bring this bill to the floor today.

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