Ron Lewis: “I rise in support of the Linder/ Collins amendment. Despite a ruling last year from the U.S. Court of Appeals, the…”

“I rise in support of the Linder/ Collins amendment. Despite a ruling last year from the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Environmental Protection Agency continues to press states to enforce its new air regulation standards. The Appeals Court had declared the new standards unconstitutional delegations of legislative powers. The EPA has now appealed to the Supreme Court, and the Court will hear the case. In the meantime, however, EPA has notified governors that they have until June 30 to designate areas that will not meet the new air standards or the EPA will do it for them. EPA should not be pushing states to enforce regulation that have been struck down in court and whose future will be decided by the Supreme Court. Five counties in my district have been put on notice that they will not be in attainment of these new rules. How can these counties become non-attainment areas of a regulation that has been declared invalid by the Appeals Court? The EPA does not know what the outcome of the Supreme Court decision will be, yet it is acting as though the air standards are law, instead of respecting the decision of the Appeals Court. Edmonson County in my district is a rural area with little industry. Much of the country is home to Mammoth Cave National Park. Yet Edmonson County faces the possibility of becoming an ozone non-attainment area. The area easily meets the current ozone standards.”