On the recordNovember 20, 2014
As I have said repeatedly, the intent of this bill is to ensure that when the EPA issues new air quality standards, the Agency provides timely guidance about how to comply with the new standards in the permitting process. Now, at the hearings that we have had and in individual discussion with other Members, people have argued that section 3(b) of this bill would prevent a State or local permitting authority that wanted to impose the new standards, even in the absence of EPA implementing regulations and guidance, from doing so. So that was not the intent of the bill, and this amendment clarifies that. So if you have a State like California or even Delaware, which are the two that I can think of, that would like to go on and impose the new standard without the guidance, then this amendment ensures that they have the opportunity to do that. So that is what this amendment does. It is simply a clarification. I reserve the balance of my time.
