WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) cosponsored a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution, introduced by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from enforcing a new rule tightening National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) standards. This action follows the letter Senator Tuberville led, signed by over thirty Senate colleagues, to the EPA demanding recission of the recently finalized NAAQS rule without readily available science and before the congressionally mandated review set for 2025.
For the first time in a decade, the Biden administration’s EPA is unnecessarily revising PM2.5 emissions from 12.0 micrograms per cubic meters (µg/m³) to 9.0 µg/m³, which will put approximately 40% of the U.S. into nonattainment. EPA’s data shows PM2.5 emissions have fallen by over 40 percent since 2000. Additionally, the vast majority of PM2.5 emissions come from sources unrelated to manufacturing, such as wildfires and miscellaneous activities, like dust from agriculture and roads that are not easily contained and – in some cases – impossible to control.
Alabama has 23.1 million acres of forest land, adding over $27 billion annually in economic output to the state and employing thousands of Alabamians. Without the forestry industry and subsequent manufacturing in the state, the rural communities and economy suffer as a result. Yet, the Biden administration’s onerous restrictions are pushing our industries out of business in the name of climate change – yet, as we know, forests and wood products sequester and store carbon, removing emissions from the atmosphere.
“The current U.S. air quality standards are clearly working – we have some of the cleanest air in the world,” said Senator Tuberville.“The EPA’s decision to tighten the National Ambient Air Quality Standards will hurt businesses, crush manufacturing, and drive-up prices. Not to mention these unnecessary regulations will make it impossible for manufacturing and forestry industries to do their jobs. Joe Biden needs to spend less time pushing his job-killing climate agenda and instead focus on lowering prices for American families, businesses, and workers.”
Senator Tuberville joined the CRA led by U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), which was also signed by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Tedd Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rand Paul (R-KY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN).
To view the full text of the resolution, click here.
BACKGROUND
In February, Senator Tuberville led a letter, signed by 31 Senate colleagues, demanding the EPA rescind the finalized rule for the NAAQS for fine PM2.5 and direct the EPA to revisit, pursuant to the best available science, its next review at the congressionally mandated five-year interval in 2025.
Click here to view the rule summary from the EPA.
- EPA is changing the NAAQS standard from 12.0 micrograms per cubic meters (µg/m³) to 9.0 µg/m³, which will put approximately 40% of the U.S. into nonattainment. To make matters worse, the EPA disregarded congressional intent by conducting a review two years before statutorily required.
- The decision by the Biden administration to tighten the standards, which lacks scientific evidence, could result in manufacturing losses of over $160 billion in economic activity and approximately 850,000 jobs put at risk according to an Oxford Economics report.
- The new standards were finalized two years before the existing PM2.5 NAAQS would undergo a new, exhaustive review by expert scientific advisors under the Clean Air Act’s statutory process.
- The last review in 2020 stated the previous levels of 12.0 µg/m³ were sufficient to protect public health. No update is needed at this time.
- The new PM2.5 NAAQS break down the standards even further, jeopardizing our economic, employment, development, and manufacturing capabilities and opportunities nationwide.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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