Mike Doyle: “EPA is moving forward with new clean air standards that are, at best, misguided. How can Administrator Browner say that…”

“EPA is moving forward with new clean air standards that are, at best, misguided. How can Administrator Browner say that we know all there is to know about particulate matter when EPA has identified it as one of its six high-priority research topics because of a high degree of uncertainty about the size and composition of the particles that may be responsible for adverse health effects. Mr. Speaker, I have spent my whole life in Pittsburgh, and people there value clean air as much as anyone. We have a State implementation plan in place right now, and the air keeps getting cleaner. With new standards, the air will not get cleaner, as new regulatory deadlines will supersede existing ones. With the stakeholder process, our community has come together to examine how to meet our air quality needs. I would note that, after participating in this rigorous process, the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Lung Association, despite threats from the national organization, opposes the new standards. If anyone at EPA believes that implementing these standards will not have any economic impact, I invite them to walk with me in the Mon Valley section of Pittsburgh and explain to those people where those industries have gone.”