Hudson Votes for Common Sense, Flexibility in Ozone Standards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) released the following statement after the House passed legislation to give states flexibility when it comes to implementing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ozone regulations:

Ozone concentrations have declined nearly 30 percent since 1980 and continue to trend downward. Despite this progress, in October 2015, the EPA revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone from 75 parts per billion (ppb) - which states were just beginning to implement - to a level of 70 ppb. Now states face the prospect of simultaneously implementing plans for two ozone standards.

Based on the agency’s monitoring data for 2012-2014, 241 counties in 33 states would violate this standard of 70 ppb – including Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. This statistic does not include contiguous counties that do not exceed 70 ppb, but that may be designated to be in nonattainment, nor does it include the more than 2,400 counties that do not currently have ozone monitors.

States are still working to implement the 2008 ozone standard of 75 ppb – which EPA did not publish implementing regulations for until March 2015. The stricter standard of 70 ppb will have no measurable impact on air quality and does not take into account naturally occurring ozone. In areas forced into nonattainment, manufacturers would not be able to expand without a reduction of emissions or a shutdown of operations from other plants in the area, bringing economic growth to a screeching halt and increasing energy costs for businesses and households alike.

Yesterday, the House passed the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2017 (H.R. 806) to provide states with the time, tools and flexibility they need to more effectively implement air quality standards. This legislation is supported by 147 organizations - including the North Carolina Petroleum Council.

As a Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Subcommittee on Environment, Rep. Hudson is working to examine and bring much-needed common sense to EPA regulations that could have economic consequences on jobs, families and communities in North Carolina. He and the Subcommittee have held hearings to examine the rule and its impacts on manufacturing, jobs and the economy. In addition, Rep. Hudson has met with several local leaders and businesses, and he attended a roundtable in Cabarrus County to discuss possible impacts of the proposed ozone rule with state and local officials, manufacturers and small businesses.

Rep. Hudson shared his perspective in the Charlotte Observer on what the Obama Administration’s tougher ozone regulation would mean for North Carolina.