Arizona legislators are establishing a joint committee to study the effects of the Environmental Protection Agency’s updated air quality regulations, which some say could profoundly affect the state’s economic health.
The Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Air Quality and Energy will convene in the coming weeks to hear testimonials of the potential effects on Arizona families, workers, and industries. The committee will weigh the positive effects environmentally with the detriment to the economy. Their studies will be compiled in a report before the end of the year, determining how the state will respond to federal regulations at the state level.
The committee will comprise five members of the state House and five of the Senate. Senator Sine Kerr, R-Buckeye, and Representative Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, will serve as co-chairs on the new committee. The two serve as chairs of the Senate and House Committees on Natural Resources, Energy and Water.
“We want to make sure the EPA’s requirements are realistic and won’t cause hardships for our residents, for our economy, or infringe on freedoms, as with what has so far transpired in California,’ Kerr said.
The EPA states that the proposed standards would eliminate 10 billion tons of carbon emissions by 2055, equivalent to more than double the emissions produced by the United States in 2022 alone. Additionally, the organization argues that car owners would save up to $12,000 throughout the time span of owning a light-duty vehicle.
“While we strive to be proactive in protecting our environment, we certainly won’t blindly implement air quality policy dictated by the federal government without thorough investigation,” Kerr said.
Many of the new EPA standards seek to regulate the spread of a particulate known as PM2.5, a fine, inhalable particle.
“The agency’s PM2.5 proposal is a prime example of the disconnect between D.C. regulators and the rest of the country,” Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Danny Seiden said in an op-ed. “Rules enacted under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards are revised on schedules that are meant to give regulated industries time to adjust. Those adjustments are often extensive and costly, and many businesses are still working to come into compliance with the last revision.”
Seiden claims exposure has already been cut in half since 2000, largely without regulatory interference stifling businesses.
“Arizona has natural occurrences of ozone such as from native vegetation and wildfires that we have absolutely no control over,” Griffin said. “We also receive significant ozone transports from Mexico and other states that need to be accounted for in federal models. We all want clean air, and I am looking forward to working with everyone on solutions.”
Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
