Impact of EPA's Proposed Air Quality Standards for Ozone
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to review national air quality standards every five years and issue revised standards, if necessary, without regard to cost or the availability of effective emissions control technology. EPA proactively proposed new, more stringent ozone standards two years earlier than required by law that would, if put into effect, cost industry and local businesses as much as $52-$90 billion per year by 2020. Under EPA's most stringent proposal, 85 percent of U.S. counties monitored by EPA would likely be designated as "non-attainment" areas, subjecting those counties to more regulation, making it difficult to establish new industrial facilities or expand existing plants. The map below illustrates how the proposed new standards will affect states and counties across America. Tell executive branch leaders and your elected members of Congress that EPA should maintain current ozone standards to protect jobs and economic growth in your region of the country.
