Overnight Regulation: EPA tightens ozone standards

Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Thursday evening here in Washington, where the Environmental Protection Agency just dropped major new air pollution regulations.

Here’s what is happening.

 

THE BIG STORY

The Obama administration dropped long-awaited air pollution rules Thursday.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s new ozone standard has been labeled the “most expensive regulation in history” by business groups, but climate activists say it is not strong enough.

{mosads}The EPA is lowering the ozone standard to 70 parts per billion, which will be much more difficult for communities to comply with than the current 75 parts per billion. Many environmental activists, though, hoped the agency would lower it even further to 60 parts per billion.

“This strengthened standard will improve public health protection across the country and provide the adequate margin of safety that is required by law and that the science supports,” EPA administrator Gina McCarthy told reporters.

The Hill’s Devin Henry has more: 

The new regulation drew criticism from both industry groups and environmental organizations within minutes of its release.

Manufacturers and energy interests have hammered the EPA for proposing to strengthen the standard, saying tough rules on ozone will be expensive to implement and threaten jobs. Industry officials had hoped the Obama administration would choose not to change the standard at all.

Environment and health groups have pushed the EPA to go even further than the 70 parts per billion standard, saying a stronger limit would help improve public health.

In a statement, Earthjustice said Thursday that the new standard is “far weaker than called for by the nation’s leading medical organizations.” http://bit.ly/1O6BBC5

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 268 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Friday’s edition of the Federal Register.

–The Department of Defense (DOD) will issue new cybersecurity requirements for federal contractors.

The cybersecurity standards will require defense contractors to report incidents that “result in an actual or potentially adverse effect on a covered contractor information system or covered defense information residing therein, or on a contractor’s ability to provide operationally critical support.”

The rule goes into effect immediately. http://bit.ly/1RiIT5R

–The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will issue new guidelines for truck drivers.

Truck drivers will be allowed to edit automatic on-board recording devices to better reflect their driving hours, the agency announced Thursday. The changes will help drivers correct errors and enter missing information.

The changes go into effect immediately. http://bit.ly/1OaMO6f

–The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will not extend protections to the greater sage-grouse.

After a high-profile review, the agency announced last week that the greater sage-grouse is not endangered or threatened. The findings will became official when it publishes them in Friday’s Federal Register. http://bit.ly/1j3KPE2

–The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will also protect certain endangered parrots.

The military macaw and great green macaw, both found in Central and South America, will be listed as endangered species, the agency announced Thursday.

“Despite conservation efforts, these species’ populations are in decline, primarily due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation; small population size; poaching; and regulatory mechanisms that are inadequate to ameliorate these threats throughout their ranges,” the agency wrote.

The protections go into effect in 30 days. http://bit.ly/1KPNqum

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW

EPA to tighten federal limits on ozone: http://bit.ly/1O6BBC5

Senators roll out criminal justice reform bill: http://bit.ly/1M49AXu

Marijuana arrests on the rise, FBI reports: http://bit.ly/1FLnp0f

Prisoners could see phone bills go down: http://bit.ly/1GiFA8o

Feds miss deadline to legalize drones: http://bit.ly/1RiJIf6

Senate panel approves oil export bill: http://bit.ly/1KUkxef

Study: Payday lenders fill GOP coffers: http://bit.ly/1P81Wk2

 

BY THE NUMBERS

693,058: The number of people arrested for marijuana in 2013.

700,993: The number of people arrested for marijuana in 2014.

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY 

“Could you imagine if hundreds of thousands of adults were arrested last year simply for possessing alcohol? That would be crazy. It’s even crazier that hundreds of thousands of adults were arrested for possessing a less harmful substance,” — Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project.

 

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-release.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-release.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-release.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and@wheelerlydia.

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