National Air Quality Standards: How You Are Affected!
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed dramatic new revisions to federal air quality standards that will greatly expand its regulatory authority. If enacted, these rules will impose significant compliance costs on the American business community.
The U.S. Chamber urges you to TAKE ACTION NOW and let EPA know how its plan will impact your business.
Regulatory Background
On December 20, 2005, EPA published proposed revisions to its current National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These revisions were issued despite the fact that the current PM2.5 standards have not yet been fully implemented.
PM2.5 refers to any particle—including dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets—smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (approximately 1/30th the width of an average human hair). Across America, these particles come from both natural and man-made sources. As a result, any successful nationwide effort to regulate PM2.5 must be tailored to specific local sources.
Since 1997 EPA has treated all PM2.5 as a single pollutant, regardless of its source or chemical composition. In the nine years following, EPA has sought to develop tools that will allow local communities to control the various PM2.5 emissions. However, due to the cost and complexity of developing these tools it has taken EPA nine years to implement its current NAAQS for PM2.5.
The following resources have been developed to illustrate the evolution of the proposed revisions, how they will impact you, and what you can do to preserve the economic vitality of your community.
Economic Impact
EPA's proposed revisions to its NAAQS for PM2.5 will have a tremendous impact on local economic development. Under any of EPA's proposed scenarios many areas of the country would be subjected to costly economic sanctions, including loss of federal highway funding. In addition, EPA's regulatory authority would be greatly expanded and, as such, would give EPA control over local economic development decisions. Further, affected areas would see an increased regulatory presence by EPA. Businesses in those areas would be subject to EPA micromanagement, including being required to obtain new and costly EPA permits and being forced to cope with an increase in EPA enforcement actions.
How You Are Affected
Click on your state to determine how your community will be impacted.
ALABAMA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
CALIFORNIA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
GEORGIA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
IDAHO
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
ILLINOIS
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
INDIANA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
IOWA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected(PDF)
KENTUCKY
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
MARYLAND
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
MICHIGAN
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
MISSOURI
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
MONTANA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
NEW JERSEY
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
NEW YORK
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
OHIO
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
OREGON
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
PENNSYLVANIA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
SOUTH CAROLINA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
UTAH
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
VIRGINIA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
WASHINGTON
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
WEST VIRGINIA
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
WISCONSIN
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
WYOMING
List of Counties Affected (Word)
Map of Counties Affected (PDF)
What You Can Do
The U.S. Chamber urges you to TAKE ACTION NOW and let EPA know how its plan will impact YOUR business.
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