[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11469]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 11469]]

 AMENDMENT TO VA/HUD BILL TO PREVENT EPA MOVING FORWARD ON DESIGNATION 
                       OF NEW NONATTAINMENT AREAS

  (Mr. COLLINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, when a lower court ruled in 1999 against 
new Federal air standards, reasonable persons expected the EPA to delay 
further implementation of the standards until the Supreme Court ruled 
on the agency's appeal.
  Instead, the EPA is pushing forward with rules that force State and 
local governments across the country to spend thousands of dollars to 
comply with new invalid standards.
  To stop this waste of taxpayer money, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Linder) and I will offer an amendment to VA/HUD later today which will 
prevent the EPA from moving forward with the designation of new 
nonattainment areas until such time as the Supreme Court makes a 
decision.
  State and local governments could better use their resources to help 
their communities to comply with the rules that may never become 
legally enforceable.
  Our amendment is simple. It does not affect existing air quality 
standards, nor does it render judgment on the new standards. It only 
requires EPA to postpone further action until the Supreme Court issues 
a final ruling.
  It is common sense to postpone the designation process until we are 
certain that it will not be a huge waste of Federal, State and local 
resources.

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