SW Arkansas Times

Washington - Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse, Western Caucus Vice-Chair Bruce Westerman, and Congressman Rick Allen have sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, urging the agency to halt the release of updated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter. The lawmakers express their concerns with the proposal and call for a review of the NAAQS under the regular five-year schedule.

In their letter, the lawmakers state, "It is our understanding that you are finalizing an update to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and plan to release the update imminently. We write to express our grave concerns with your agency's proposal and urge you to halt its release."

The lawmakers refer to a previous letter sent in October of 2023, where they and 70 of their colleagues urged the EPA to withdraw the "costly and unnecessary proposal" and review the PM2.5 NAAQS under the Clean Air Act's regular review cycle. However, they have yet to receive a response to that letter.

Highlighting the significant impact this proposal would have on various industries, the lawmakers note that nearly 700,000 comments were received on the proposal in the Federal Register last year. They also mention that over 70 manufacturing organizations expressed their concerns about the proposal's negative economic impacts in a letter to the White House Chief of Staff.

The lawmakers emphasize that the United States already has some of the cleanest air in the world, according to Yale University's Environmental Performance Index. They also point out the importance of the forestry sector and the forest products industry in their states, stating that the implementation of this proposal would severely impact these sectors. They highlight that nearly 80% of the sawmill and papermill improvement projects over the last five years would have failed to meet their air permits if the proposal were in effect.

In conclusion, the lawmakers urge Administrator Regan to halt the release of the finalized update and review the NAAQS under the regular five-year review schedule. They emphasize the need to consider the economic impact and the importance of industries such as forestry in their states.

To view the full letter, click here.