API calls on Congress to block the unnecessary ozone regulations
WASHINGTON, October 1, 2015 – Congress must move legislation to slow EPA’s rush to further tighten regulations on ozone that could be the costliest regulation ever imposed on the American public, even as current standards are already improving air quality, according to API President and CEO Jack Gerard.
“Current ozone standards protect public health without further stifling jobs or harming our economy,” Gerard said. “Our nation’s air is getting cleaner as we implement the existing standards, but the administration ignored science by changing the standards before allowing current standards to work. It’s time for Congress to step in and block this unnecessary and costly regulation to protect American consumers.”
Ground level ozone in the U.S. declined by 18 percent between 2000 and 2013, according to EPA data.
“Further tightening the standards will not improve air quality any faster, but new regulations will hurt jobs and the economy by imposing unachievable emission reduction requirements on virtually every part of the nation,” Gerard said. “Even pristine areas with no industrial activity such as national parks would be out of attainment. Operating under such stringent requirements could stifle new investment across the nation.”
New ozone regulations could be the most expensive regulation ever with a cost of as much as $270 billion per year while placing millions of jobs at risk, according to a NERA economic analysis.
New restrictions on business and investment could impact job growth in 958 counties across the U.S. – nearly one-third of all counties or county equivalents – under EPA’s new standard of 70 parts per billion, according to a recent API analysis of EPA data. That’s up from just 217 counties at the current ozone standards.
API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 25 million Americans.