House rejects lifting restrictions on ozone regulations

The House rejected a proposal on Wednesday to eliminate a provision in a GOP spending bill that would restrict the Obama administration’s ability to enforce air quality standards for ozone.

Under House Republicans’ 2016 spending bill for the Department of Interior, the Obama administration could not propose or implement ozone regulations below the current air quality standard unless 85 percent of counties that don’t currently meet it are fully compliant.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently finalizing a rule lowering the acceptable concentration of surface-level ozone from 75 parts per billion to 65 or 70 parts per billion.

{mosads}Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) offered an amendment to the Interior Department spending bill to do away with the restrictions, but it failed on a 180-249 vote.

Edwards cited potential dangers to public health and the environment if ozone standards are kept at the status quo.

“Breathing ozone is dangerous for everyone, but particularly for children, for the elderly and people of all ages who have lung diseases,” Edwards said. “We need to allow the EPA -in fact, empower the EPA – to follow the science and create minimum standards necessary to protect public health.”

Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA must review its ozone standards every five years, though it is not necessarily required to change them.

Republicans said that it would be premature and costly to make ozone standards even stricter after establishing a rule in 2008.

“Before we finish that job, EPA wants to move the goalposts,” said Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas). “This bill simply includes a pause button on new EPA rules until we can finish the job and reach our current mandates.”

The House is expected to pass the underlying Interior Department appropriations bill on Thursday, after debating more than 100 amendments.

– Devin Henry contributed.