Glenn Grothman: “The purpose of this amendment is to deal with the new rule entitled, ``National Ambient Air Quality Standards for…”

“The purpose of this amendment is to deal with the new rule entitled, ``National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone,'' which affects several Wisconsin counties that I represent along Lake Michigan. Since the original CLEAR Act came into effect, the Environmental Protection Agency has had the authority to regulate air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. They have--and this is a good thing-- over time, progressively come up with new rules, making the standards more and more stringent for the counties along Lake Michigan. If you are ruled a nonattainment, it is a burden. It is a burden on industry that has to spend substantial amounts of additional money dealing with stricter and stricter standards, putting them at a competitive disadvantage compared to other parts of the country and other parts of the world. It is also a difficult thing for individual motorists who find their cars have to be repaired. It is very expensive. Some of it is easy for people who have a high salary to deal with. Maybe they don't have an older car. But I have always felt that some of this disproportionately affects the people who are just struggling to get a goal in life. Therefore, when the EPA comes up with new standards, it is not without effect. They need to come up with new standards they proposed a couple of years ago.…”