Key Vote Letter to House Supporting H.R. 806, the Ozone Standards Implementation Act

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce strongly supports H.R. 806, the “Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2017,” which would provide for the reasonable implementation of the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, streamline air permitting, and institute other reforms to federal air quality standards, allowing for a balance between environmental stewardship and economic and employment growth. The Chamber will consider including votes on, or in relation to, this bill in our annual How They Voted scorecard.

States, along with business and industry, have been working hard to improve the U.S. air quality for many years. Indeed, ozone levels have decreased 33% since 1980, and ozone levels will continue to decline as states implement the 2008 ozone NAAQS. EPA itself projects that most of the U.S. will meet the 2015 ozone standard of 70 parts per billion by 2025 simply by implementing existing air standards, such as the 2008 ozone standards.

H.R. 806 is needed to prevent the burden of requiring states to implement two ozone standards simultaneously, and to prevent needless nonattainment designations that would stymie economic development and inhibit job creation in many communities. The bill would allow for the sensible and efficient alignment of the implementation deadlines for the 2015 and 2008 ozone standards so that states have time to implement the 2008 ozone standard first, while still improving air quality.

The Chamber urges you to vote in favor of H.R. 806.