The Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Minerals, under the Energy & Commerce Committee, held a hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rule for the reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter.
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to revise the primary annual PM2.5 standard. While the rule is not expected to be implemented until next year, it does not account for sources of air pollution that are necessarily linked to wildfires or non-industry points.
The United States enjoys some of the cleanest air in the world today. Even more, ambient air levels of PM2.5 have been trending downward over the past twenty years. Unfortunately, the proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule threatens to push U.S. industry overseas through exorbitant overregulation. Since the Clean Air Act's inception, the country has reduced air pollution by almost 80%.
Punishing industry for point source emissions when non-point source emissions, like wildfires, are ignored by the Environmental Protection Agency, in determining appropriate particulate matter levels, will hurt American industry and benefit the Chinese. The Biden Administration's Environmental Protection Agency is ignoring the progress made by industry in the United States while not understanding that China does not hold the progression of the United States when it comes to cleaner, healthier air.
Additionally, the proposed National Ambient Air Quality Standards will impose economy-wide impacts on agriculture, energy, forestry, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. The proposed rule should remain that - a proposed rule.