[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 134 (Thursday, September 17, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H6081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           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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