U.S. Chamber Calls on EPA to Enforce Clean Air Act and Stop Penalizing States for Foreign Air Emissions

WASHINGTON, DC--The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement a comprehensive regulatory program to address the impact of air emissions emanating from outside the United States on domestic compliance with clean air rules.

"As economies in China and India continue to grow, so will emissions resulting from this economic growth," said Bill Kovacs, Chamber vice president for Environment, Technology and Regulatory Affairs. "Governments and businesses seeking to comply in good faith with clean air rules shouldn't be penalized because emissions migrate from overseas."

The Clean Air Act provides an answer to this dilemma. Under section 179B of the Clean Air Act, EPA must approve a state implementation plan if the state establishes that it would be in compliance with EPA's air quality rules but for emissions emanating from outside the United States. Despite the existence of this provision for more than a decade, EPA has failed to develop a regulatory program to implement it.

In order to bring relief to states and businesses, the Chamber has filed a petition for rulemaking with the EPA, calling on the agency to implement section 179B of the Clean Air Act and develop a comprehensive regulatory program that fully addresses the influence of air emissions emanating from outside the United States on domestic air quality and air quality compliance requirements. The program should also provide states with access to the data needed to make this demonstration.

"Now is the time for EPA to set forth a process that states can use to demonstrate compliance with air quality standards without being penalized for emissions over which neither the states, nor localities, have control," said Kovacs. "The Chamber urges EPA to promptly implement this longstanding Clean Air Act provision today."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

www.uschamber.com

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