Governor Lombardo Blasts EPA’s Latest Job-Killing Mandates

Governor Lombardo and 21 other Republican governors from across the country have written a letter to President Joe Biden blasting the EPA’s latest rule that calls for the unnecessary regulatory overreach of particulate matter.

The letter to the EPA addresses the recent mandate dictated by the EPA that adds burdensome regulations which tighten limits on fine particles in the air, known as PM2.5, without considering the impact to states – namely rural states – and the private sector.

In the letter, the Republican governors state that the tightening of the PM2.5 standards by the EPA necessitates a coordinated and strategic response to balance economic and environmental interests, not a job-killing, one-size-fits-all mandate.

They maintain that the effect of the rule could grind permitting to a halt and drive up building costs, stress small, rural communities, and warn that “The EPA cannot expect a one-size-fits-all approach to the implementation of these new regulations.”

“To require a 25 percent reduction in fine particles without adequately recognizing the largest source of pollution does not create a workable framework for all of our states,” the governors state in their letter.

According to an analysis by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the final rule, once effective, would make 20 percent of rural counties non compliant. “In rural America, there are few alternatives to reduce these emissions, which places rural communities at a disadvantage and on the verge of becoming potential non-attainment areas,” the Republican governors note.

EPA is strengthening a key national #AirQuality standard for soot pollution, one of the most widespread and health-threatening air pollutants. This will result in significant public health benefits for American communities.https://t.co/5cxRA8JogC pic.twitter.com/JvFec5KWJQ

— U.S. EPA (@EPA) February 7, 2024

On Febuary 7, the Biden Administration finalized the regulations citing that the new standards will bolster the economy and save American lives.

The EPA’s claims that the new standards, paired with the “historic investments” from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will “bolster the U.S. economy by deploying billions of dollars and creating good-paying jobs across the transition to cleaner technologies. This strategy will make Americans healthier and more productive, while underpinning a manufacturing resurgence in America. Since 2000, PM2.5 concentrations in the outdoor air have decreased by 42% while the U.S. Gross Domestic Product increased by 52% during that time.”

“This final air quality standard will save lives and make all people healthier, especially within America’s most vulnerable and overburdened communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Cleaner air means that our children have brighter futures, and people can live more productive and active lives, improving our ability to grow and develop as a nation. EPA looks forward to continuing our decades of success in working with states, counties, Tribes, and industry to ensure this critical health standard is implemented effectively to improve the long-term health and productivity of our nation.”

The EPA further claims that the mandate will “advance environmental justice by ensuring localized data collection in overburdened areas to inform future NAAQS reviews.” Supporters include Earth Justice and the National Medical Association who claim that the mandates will ensure health equity and address the “ongoing public health and environmental justice crisis.”

Yet, the Republican governors strongly disagree. “The mandate is nothing more than additional red tape that ignores significant progress in addressing fine particulate matter levels and would be disastrous for American industries and job creation,”  the Republican Governors Association stated in a press release.

The letter from Governor Lombardo and his GOP colleagues comes as House and Senate Republicans are also working to pause the EPA’s regulation overreach through the Congressional Review Act.