Republican House members are moving ahead with two bills that would rewrite the Clean Air Act for the first time in 35 years, partly in response to EPA’s decision last year under then-President Joe Biden to tighten a key air pollution standard.
Both measures are expected to be introduced later Friday by two Georgia Republicans, Reps. Rick Allen and Buddy Carter, according to a House Energy and Commerce Committee spokesperson.
Allen’s bill, dubbed the “Clean Air and Building Infrastructure Improvement Act,” would limit the use of the strengthened annual soot exposure standard for preconstruction permitting purposes. In the future, the legislation would also block EPA from applying ambient air quality standard changes to permitting requirements until implementation guidance has been published.
Among other changes, Carter’s “Clean Air and Economic Advancement Reform Act” would extend the statutory review cycle for the standards from five years to 10; it would also allow EPA to factor in the “attainability” of stricter limits before making a final decision.
