WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) intent to delay implementation of the 2015 ozone standards:
“State and local governments and employers across the country have had insufficient time to comply with the latest revisions to the ozone standards. I commend Administrator Pruitt and his staff at the EPA for acknowledging this reality and acting today to delay existing standards. The overlapping standards have caused regulatory confusion, even as ozone emissions continue to decline. However, Congress must now provide a permanent fix to the broken process of reviewing and implementing ozone standards.”
In February, Senator Capito introduced the Ozone Standards Implementation Act to provide more clarity and more regulatory certainty around existing ozone standards. The legislation addresses the overlap between standards that were issued in 2008 and 2015, and makes it easier and more cost-effective for states to comply with these standards.
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